HIGH grade copper has been discovered on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula and is only metres from the surface. The new mineralization is from recent drilling by Adelaide Resources in the western part of the 3.5km-long Alford West copper prospect, northeast of Wallaroo, and represents the discovery of the second high grade copper zone found at the prospect.

The drill hole in which the latest discovery was made, intersected copper grading 1.47% over a 23 metre downhole width. The intersection commences just six metres vertically below ground level. In addition, the discovery intersection also includes even higher grade copper zones of 11 metres @ 2.23% and 5 metres at 3.36% copper - starting just 10 metres down the hole.

Adelaide Resources’ managing director Chris Drown says the Alford West prospect area is emerging as an exciting new era copper play in an historic copper mining region. “We are also encouraged that further copper mineralization has been observed in other holes nearby this latest discovery, with assaying of samples from those holes yet to be completed.

“Of most significance is that the latest discovery hole is about 1km to the west of the area we drilled last year which also contains high grade zones - so we now have two high grade copper targets to further evaluate within the broader Alford West prospect.

“Only eight historical deep holes have ever been drilled into the western 2km of the 3.5km-long Alford West target, and our strategy in the current drilling program is to complete initial broad-spaced drill coverage of this poorly tested area.

“Certainly, the latest hit ranks among the better intersections that have been achieved in holes drilled by either Adelaide Resources or past explorers on the broader Moonta Copper-Gold Project.

“We want to look at the results from all initial broad-spaced drill lines over the western part of Alford West before finalizing the design of our stage 2 follow-up drilling, scheduled to commence in early April, but it is already clear that some of that follow-up drilling will be around the latest discovery hole.”

In its 2013 program, Adelaide Resources drilled 122 aircore holes on 11 traverses over a 1.1km strike length in the eastern part of the Alford West prospect. Copper and gold mineralization presented on every traverse. This program delivered standout intersections of 20 metres @ 4.2% copper from 32 metres, and 45 metres @ 1.56% copper and 1.83 grams/tonne gold from 13 metres.

The company also plans to further drill out this eastern zone to more fully evaluate its high grade copper and gold resource potential.