JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – A 962 km² high-power SkyTEM airborne electromagnetic (EM) survey that dual-listed Orion Minerals started at the Areachap Belt, in the Northern Cape, in late November, has identified four primary and 11 secondary priority targets for exploration.

The company now intends to expand its activities to begin drill testing the highly prospective paleo seafloor for zinc/copper rich massive sulphide mineralisation in early 2018.

The Areachap Belt was the focus of only two short-lived exploration booms in the 1970s and early 1980s during which many large exploration companies such as Anglo American, Newmont and Anglovaal were successful in identifying several volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) and nickel/copper occurrences.

However, only a few of these VMS occurrences were investigated in detail or below a depth of 300 m below surface.

In recent decades, the geological understanding of the style of volcanogenic mineralisation found in the Areachap Belt has led to numerous global discoveries of clusters of massive sulphide-hosted base metals deposits in “camps” surrounding known major deposits in volcanogenic belts similar to that of the Areachap Belt.

The geophysical exploration tools applied to achieve these discoveries have not yet been applied to the highly prospective Areachap Belt.

The SkyTEM survey is being flown with the highly innovative – SkyTEM312 high-power technology for deep-target imaging.

This high-power system, with a peak moment up to one-million NIA , is optimised to provide an exceptional depth of investigation owing to the high moment mode with high current and low base frequency of 12.5 Hz.

The first flight block of the survey, covering the Masiqhame prospecting right, was completed on December 6.

The survey is planned for completion in late January and all data is being continually reviewed and processed by Orion’s Perth-based international consultants Southern Geoscience Consultants.

Orion plans to follow up selected anomalies with infill airborne EM and/or high-powered ground EM surveys.

"The initial results from our advanced airborne survey are extremely encouraging and underscore the exceptional geological potential of this geological belt.

“The results justify high-priority follow-up work and also continued application of these modern techniques, across the highly prospective Areachap Belt. We look forward to drill testing the highest priority targets that we have established, in the new year, while continuing the high-intensity bankable feasibility study work on the Prieska project,” said Orion MD and CEO Errol Smart.