Middle Island Resources Limited (MDI) announced that the initial drilling program for the Crosswinds target in the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory has been completed. MDI achieved this with the completion of CWDD002, the 4th drill hole for a total of 3,025m, in the maiden drilling program. Following the announcement from 1st of August 2022 on the completion of the first drill hole, 3 subsequent holes have been completed.

CWDD001 (drilled to 808.4m) was targeting the main IP target generated from work completed in May 2022 as well as the surface expression of the Copper oxide observed. MDI has undertaken additional drilling, CWDD004 (drilled to 810.8m), which was completed on the second IP target to the north-west (Crosswinds West). After drilling through the upper Georgina Basin limestone sequence and passing thorough the Helen Springs Volcanics, an additional thick sequence of sediments was intersected.

This has been interpreted as an equivalent member to that of the Lower McArthur Basin (Blades et al). Below this the basement sediments were intersected at 604m. A sequence of interbedded sediments with minor intrusives were intersected at the start of the basement.

Hematite alteration was also prevalent throughout this basement material. The basement material then transitions into granite/granodiorite, fine to coarse grained, for the remainder of the hole. Occasionally, it was observed to have strong hematite alteration and quartz veining with albite-sericite and hematite alteration.

MDI also moved to the north to target a coincident gravity high and magnetic high. Drill hole CWDD007 was then drilled to the north and was ended at 855.5m. A malachite thumbnail has been observed at 156.5m within the vuggy limestone of the Georgina Basin.

Deposition of this malachite could interpret a very similar system to that of the original discovery of surface malachite at Crosswinds. The Georgina Basin reached 219m in this hole with the base of the Helen Springs volcanics at 294m. A thick sequence of the equivalent, Lower McArthur Basin, was again intersected.

This section reached down to 735m, before entering the basement dominated by Dolerite. This dolerite is altered with hematite and carbonate and continues to the end of the hole at 855.5m. Chalcopyrite/pyrite in a fracture at 848.6m has also been observed.

A return to the first drill pad location saw the drilling of CWDD002 (drilled to 550.3m). The drill hole was re-oriented to drill to the north to test additional limits of the original IP anomaly.