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Auris has

best of both

worlds

hether it happens in copper or gold,
WAuris Minerals Ltd has options afoot
should it make a long-awaited new dis-
covery in the Bryah Basin.
Auris has partnered with some of
the region’s biggest names, including
Sandfire Resources Ltd and Westgold
Resources Ltd, to find fresh ore for the
hungry plants at DeGrussa and Fortnum.
Sandfire is earning up to 70% of three
Auris packages – Morck Well, Cashman
and Cheroona – while Westgold holds
the gold rights and 20% of the copper to Auris continues to report encouraging copper results from drilling at its Forrest project
the Forrest project where recent drilling in the Bryah Basin, WA
produced hits of 6m @ 1.5% copper from
305m (including 2m @ 3.05% from 308m) the producer to formally acquire 70% of a the stock recently, but we need to keep
and 3m @ 1.86% copper from 299m (in- particular asset. those positive results coming out to keep
cluding 1m @ 4.35% from 299m). “We just know Sandfire are going to that interest ongoing.”
It is well documented that DeGrussa spend the money that’s required to fully Auris also reported some positive gold
is rapidly being depleted of available re- explore those farm-in projects and we’re results at its 100%-owned Feather Cap
sources with Sandfire continuing to pull very comfortable with that,” Hendriks told project in the last quarter. Best results
out all stops to keep its 1.5 mtpa concen- Paydirt. from the drilling completed in 2020 in-
trator ticking over. “They are spending millions of dollars cluded 5m @ 1.39 g/t gold from 30m, 2m
Auris managing director Mike Hendriks on those projects and I wait with antici- @ 0.34 g/t gold and 0.12% copper from
said the rewards for any exploration suc- pation for that phone call when they an- 58m and 2m @ 1.26 g/t gold from 142m.
cess in the Byrah Basin were abundantly nounce a major discovery.” Last September saw a role-reversal
clear. Auris completed an IP survey at Forrest with Sandfire, with a share purchase
“Two of the highest-grade copper-rich in the March quarter to identify multiple agreement struck over the miner’s 1.01
discoveries in the world were made in the targets for drilling which remains ongo- moz Sams Creek gold project in New
Byrah Basin, being Monty and DeGrus- ing. Other encouraging results returned Zealand. The acquisition remains sub-
sa,” he said. earlier this year included 0.4m @ 2.5% ject to a number of conditions precedent,
“The geology of the whole Bryah Ba- copper from 383m, 5m @ 0.68% copper including an extension of the exploration
sin is proven so we know there are more from 386m (including 1m @ 1.34% from permit which expired on March 26.
[deposits] out there, but they’re extremely 390m) and 8m @ 1.19% copper from Upon completion of the deal, Sandfire
difficult to find. However, if you find one 401m (including 2.1% from 406m). will increase its holding from 6.7% to be-
there’s a major plant just down the road Significant copper results were also come the majority shareholder in Auris
that is desperate for new resource. returned from a 39-hole RC drilling pro- with a 19.9% stake.
“It’s not just DeGrussa and Monty, gramme at Forrest which was completed “Sams Creek is a significant gold pro-
there’s a significant number of gold re- by Westgold, including hits of 32m @ ject and we are currently working to tick
sources in that area, including Fortnum, 1.8% copper (including 4m @ 4.63% all the necessary boxes to finalise the ac-
so that’s exciting for us as well.” from 112m), 14m @ 1.73% copper from quisition, including obtaining shareholder
Sandfire drilled 290 aircore holes at 63m (including 4m @ 4.01% from 73m) approval,” Hendriks said.
Morck Well in the March quarter, with as- and 3m @ 5.04% copper from 103m. Auris had $4.4 million cash in the bank
say results pending for 150 holes. Infill “Copper is our key focus, especially at the end of the March quarter which
aircore and RC drilling is being planned with copper being as hot as it is in the Hendriks said the company would be
to further evaluate any significant results. current market,” Hendriks said. putting into the ground in an appropriate
Drilling at Cashman and Cheroona “Our recently completed IP survey fashion.
(also part of a JV with Northern Star Re- on Forrest provided us with about 10 Hendriks also flagged the start of new
sources Ltd) has not produced any re- anomalies for which we need to do some exploration work at the company’s early-
sults of great significance to date. further groundwork on before putting stage Milgun and Horsehoe Well projects
Each of the three projects Sandfire is a diamond rig in there, but we’re really over the coming 12 months.
farming into must have completed fea- excited about what we’ve seen in these
sibility studies on not less than 50,000t initial results. – Michael Washbourne
contained copper or metal equivalent for “There’s been some good interest in

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT JUNe 2021 Page 35