Lincoln Minerals has launched a comprehensive assay program to test historic drill core at its Minbrie copper and base metals project on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
The program targets previously unassayed core from Centrex’s 2011 drilling campaign, which focused on magnetite and left base metal potential largely unexamined.
Lincoln will assess 69 historic drill holes out of 266 drilled to date, leveraging existing core for a cost-effective and rapid exploration effort.
“We have commenced assaying historic core samples from Minbrie for copper, lead, zinc, and silver,” Lincoln Minerals’ chief executive officer Jonathon Trewartha said.
“Over the coming months, I feel this site represents the most exciting exploration opportunity in South Australia.
“Our goal is not only to provide evidence of a major base metal discovery but also allow Lincoln to develop and undertake an exploration program.
“Success here will demonstrate that the southern Gawler Craton is a highly desirable address, complementing the northern portion, which hosts Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena.”
The program builds on existing high-grade intercepts, including discovery hole BUDD192, which returned 12m at 1.4 per cent copper, 12.4 per cent lead, 2 per cent zinc, and 13 grams per tonne (g/t) silver.
The re-assay effort will prioritise core from holes near this intercept, particularly untested intervals that may contain further mineralisation.
Lincoln’s analysis of historical data suggests that 85 per cent of drill holes never reached the target depth, and only 16 per cent were assayed for base metals.
The company aims to rectify this gap, focusing on sulphide-rich zones extending over a 7km strike length.
“With an extensive archive of historic drill core, we can systematically assess Minbrie’s base metals prospectivity without the need for immediate redrilling,” Trewartha said.
Lincoln expects results from the assays by May 2025, which could pave the way for further exploration and resource definition at Minbrie.
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