Thomson Resources is one of the successful applicants for grants under the New Frontiers Co-operative Drilling Scheme. The grants are for drilling at the Cuttaburra and Mt Jacob Projects. Thomson has discovered multiple Intrusion-Related Gold (gold +/- bismuth, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten) systems in the Thomson Fold Belt, a region of deformed and intruded sediments and volcanics thou
ght to be the under-cover, unexplored northern extension of one of Australia’s premier metalliferous mining districts, the Lachlan Fold Belt. Three are considered to be particularly prospective (F1, Cuttaburra A and B). TMZ has a dominant tenement position in this new mineral belt which has had minimal, but very encouraging, exploration so far. Cuttaburra A and B, have yielded high grade intercepts; demonstrating for the first time that these systems have the potential to host economic deposits. The high grades were in a range of commodities in different combinations: up to 3.7 g/t Au, 113 g/t Ag, 4.2% zinc, 0.5% copper, 1.8% lead, 0.8% tin and 0.6% tungsten. At F1, Thomson has intersected granite at shallow depths for the first time; with anomalous tungsten, molybdenum and gold. Thomson considers that it has proven its basic exploration model: that magnetic anomalies under cover in NW NSW in the Thomson Fold Belt are associated with base and precious metals mineralised systems. Overall, nine of the most prominent magnetic anomalies, widely separated over a distance of 150km, have been tested so far with eight positive results. Thomson has also recently identfied tin-tungsten prospects on its ground. At Wilgaroon a single deep hole, drilled in 1996 but never followed up, yielded 250m of anomalous tin-tungsten mineralisation, with individual metres up to 2.5% tin and 1.4% tungsten. Recently Thomson has acquired from Newmont Exploration an advanced VMS (lead-zinc-silver-copper-gold) project in central NSW as well as a tin-copper skarn and gold project near Kempsey.
