Kumarina Project

Location

The Kumarina Project comprises two tenements covering an area of approximately 217.1km² as shown in Figure 4.

Production History

The Kumarina copper deposits were discovered in 1913 and worked intermittently until 1973. The workings extend over nearly 3km as a series of pits, shafts and shallow open cuts. At the main Kumarina Copper Mine on M52/27, the workings are entirely underground with drives from the main shaft extending for some 200m in the upper levels and for about 100m in the lower levels at a depth of 49m below surface.

Records indicate that the Kumarina Copper mine was the second largest producer in the Bangemall Basin group of copper mines. Recorded production to the late 1960s is 481t of copper ore at a high-grade of 37.0% Cu and 2,340t at a grade of 17.51% Cu.

Exploration Potential

The potential to host copper mineralisation within the current tenements can be supported by the following evidence:

Approximately 2800t of high-grade copper ore has been mined from underground between 1913 and 1973; this production demonstrates copper mineralisation occurs in the project area.
Generally past mining has been above the water table to 17m. Potential exists for copper mineralisation extensions below the water table. A 1962 drill hole by Carpentaria intersected 5.59% Cu over 6.7m.
Potential multiple copper targets were discovered by St Barbara that ranged in assays from 1.15% to 3.5% Cu. These targets warrant follow-up exploration including mapping and surface rock chip sampling.
The current tenement area has only been subjected to limited modern exploration. Consequently, the area is considered to be at a very early stage of assessment with potential for the discovery of additional ‘greenfield’ copper mineralisation using modern exploration techniques.
Satellite imagery interpretation completed by Murchison Copper Mines in 2009 has identified several high priority targets for detailed exploration. (See >Figure 5)