TRITTON COPPER DEPOSIT, GIRILAMBONE DISTRICT, NSW

Copper was first discovered at the Budgery group of mines (Budgerygar, Budgerygar North and Bonnie Dundee) in 1906 when a 'pipe-like' body of chalcocite, carbonates, native copper and cuprite was found (Fogarty, 1998). The Utah Development Corporation and Seltrust Mining Corporation Pty Ltd acquired tenements stretching from Girilambone to Hermidale following the release of an airborne geophysical survey by the Bureau of Mineral Resources in 1960. Although efforts were concentrated in the vicinity of the Girilambone Copper Mine (Figure 1), Utah Development Corporation also RAB drilled and bedrock sampled the Budgerygar area (Fogarty, 1998). However, no further mineralization was located in the area until 1993, when intensive exploration by joint venture partners, Nord Pacific Ltd and Straits Resources Ltd tested the anomalous geochemistry, associated with the regionally extensive 'Rockdale Anomaly'. This led to the discovery of the Tritton deposit. Transient electromagnetic surveys (SIROTEM) in the Budgerygar area identified two highly anomalous late time conductors, Tritton and Budgerygar. Subsequent RC and deep diamond drilling identified mineralization to depths of 1000 m and resource drilling delineated a proven and probable reserve of 4.96 Mt at 2.9% Cu, 0.21 g/t Au and 10 g/t Ag (Tritton Resources Ltd, 2003). Soil geochemical surveys, RAB and vacuum programs identified several other anomalies in the area, although none have led to significant mineralization at depth.