Projects
> Copper-Gold-Uranium Projects
Pine Point Copper Belt : South Australia : Overview
Rex Minerals has exploration licences in one of the most prospective locations in the world for large-scale copper, gold and uranium deposits. The licences are located in South Australia, within a geological terrane called the Gawler Craton. The Gawler Craton hosts Australia’s largest historical copper mines which occur at Moonta, which is within 50 kilometres of Rex’s exploration licences on the Yorke Peninsula.
Most of the rocks in the Gawler Craton are covered by a sequence of younger rocks that have effectively hidden many large copper deposits from the early explorers. In more recent times, exploration underneath these cover rocks has lead to the discovery of Olympic Dam – which is Australia’s largest copper deposit and also one of the world’s largest polymetallic deposits.
Additional discoveries such as Prominent Hill and Carapateena have shown that there is further potential to uncover large-scale copper deposits within the Gawler Craton.
Pine Point Copper Belt : South Australia : Discoveries
In 2009 Rex made a significant copper discovery at the Hillside Project, which is situated within a two hour drive of Adelaide on the Yorke Peninsula. The Hillside Project is one of many targets that exist along the Pine Point Copper Belt, which are the foundation to Rex’s objective of creating a new large-scale and long-life copper operation in South Australia.
At Hillside, Rex has discovered copper mineralisation on three separate structures, the Zanoni, Parsee and Songvaar. These structures are broadly defined by a magnetic anomaly that has been defined over an area that is 2 kilometres long and 500 metres wide.
Drilling at Hillside has defined extensive copper mineralisation associated with this magnetic anomaly. The copper has been defined from 10 metres beneath the surface to a depth of over 500 metres.
Interpreted geology and copper mineralisation from section 4400N at the Hillside project, along with Assay results.
The high-grade copper mineralisation has been identified within a series of vertically orientated structures, which are often surrounded by extensive lower grade copper mineralisation. It is the combination of all of these structures which are postulated by Rex to lead to a new large-scale mining opportunity at Hillside.
Economies of scale are very important for the profitability of most copper mines in the world today, and Rex has determined that the most favourable outcome for the Hillside project will be to pursue large- scale bulk mining options. (Refer to: Interpreted geology and copper mineralisation from section 4400N at the Hillside project).
The high grade copper mineralisation at Hillside is dominated by the copper mineral chalcopyrite, which is typically found in association with magnetite and pyrite as seen below.
Hillside Magnetic Image
Hillside Electromagnetic (EM) Image
Pine Point Magnetic Image
Rex’s Yorke Peninsula Tenements
Wandearah : South Australia : Overview
At Wandearah, the prospective rocks are underneath 300 to 500 metres of cover. Rex is exploring for a large copper-gold deposit at Wandearah, based on a very large magnetic and gravity anomaly. For comparison Olympic Dam, one of the world’s largest copper deposits, could comfortably fit within the area identified by this anomaly.
