Initial coal quality testing points to the potential for a coking product with raw CSN values of up to 7.5. An initial coal mineralization target of 110 – 170Mt over the exploration target area (some 3,500ha) has been established.
This exploration target area has been modelled by Xenith Consulting based on 26 completed Stanmore coal drillholes and historical holes within the western area of the Mackenzie tenements and relates to a strike distance of approximately 24km, north and south of the Capricorn Highway.
The exploration target is based on a net coal thickness in the range of 2-3mt and an average coal relative density of 1.60, which is the average from recently completed core hole C106013.
The Aquarius seam has been intersected at depths ranging from 30-100mt within the exploration target area and based on the core logging and geophysical logs is composed of interbedded coal and tuffaceous stone bands over a total 3-4mt sequence. The seam is dipping gently towards the west with the interpreted subcrop line striking north within the exploration target area.
The coal bands have been named separately and there appears to be five distinct coal plies with intervening stone bands ranging in thickness from 0.20-0.50mt thick. Based on the raw coal quality data received to date the coal plies show a weighted average raw ash range of 30-40%, and an average raw CSN range of 3-5 with values up to 7.5, and air dried moisture ranges from 2-3%.
CSN values on the washed product are expected to be higher and will be known once the initial washability analysis is completed.
Drilling and laboratory work is continuing with the aim of establishing an initial JORC Inferred Resource within the Aquarius seam in the next three months. In addition, 13 holes have been drilled in the eastern project area (including one cored hole) targeting the coal seams within the Fair Hill Formation.
Drilling of this formation in the eastern area has to date intersected thick but quite dirty coal seams only. Additional drilling and coal testing is planned in an attempt to identify economic targets within the Fair Hill Formation.
