Across five samples, the average grade hit an eye-watering 18.6 per cent copper, 18.4 per cent zinc and 427g/t silver, with a healthy dash of germanium and antimony thrown in.
Sitting 400m to the northwest, Gossan 2 is a similarly exciting beast – this time loaded with zinc, lead, silver and germanium. The outcrop spans 25m and displays a different flavour of mineralisation with more sphalerite and galena.
Star results include a sample of 32.4 per cent zinc, 34.1 per cent lead and 97g/t germanium. A second rock chip taken from 50m to the northeast racked up 29 per cent copper and a staggering 2.47kg/t silver.
The Gossan 2 corridor runs along more than 800m and is also wide open to the east and west, hinting this may be a much larger, multi-zoned mineralised system.
The trio of rock chip samples from Gossan 2 packed a serious punch, averaging 25.3 per cent zinc, 23.1 per cent lead, 1.17 per cent copper, 119g/t silver and 63g/t germanium – a clear sign the gossan could be just the tip of a much deeper, high-grade polymetallic sulphide system waiting below.
The company says the discovery of high-grade germanium is particularly intriguing, not just for its rarity, but because the native mix of metals at Area 6 appears to mirror the legendary Tsumeb deposit 20km away.
Tsumeb famously pumped out 27 million tonnes at 4.3 per cent copper, 10 per cent lead, 3.5 per cent zinc and 95g/t silver. Discovered back in 1907, the legendary site was a geological wonderland bursting with copper, lead, zinc and silver, plus an incredible 240 different minerals, 55 of which have never been discovered elsewhere.
Golden Deeps Limited chief executive officer Jon Dugdale said: “The identification of these outcropping oxidised sulphide gossans – and the spectacular grades of copper, zinc, silver and lead, with high-grade germanium and highly anomalous antimony, over such a widespread area clearly demonstrates the potential for substantial, high-grade mineralised sulphide discoveries in multiple zones.”
Golden Deeps isn’t sitting still, with trenching and channel sampling already in full swing, while induced polarisation geophysics is being rolled out to chase deeper sulphide hits.
Meanwhile, fresh soil sampling to the east and west of the initially tested area is on the hunt for the extensions to these juicy mineralised corridors, with every step pointing to a system that just keeps growing.
Golden Deeps says with access agreements already signed and exploration tracks cleared, the company is booking in the rigs and planning a drill program for what could be one of the most exciting campaigns in southern Africa this year.
If the sulphide zones at depth reflect anything close to what’s been seen on surface, Golden Deeps may have cracked open a new chapter in Namibia’s rich critical metals story – one that could place it firmly in the sights of punters and off-takers alike.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
