Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project

The 194km2 Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project is targeting a large-scale Porphyry Copper-Gold System.
The Project is located 300km NE of Melbourne in Australia’s premier Porphyry Copper-Gold geological terrain.

Regional and Local Geology

Nexus announced in January 2022 that it had completed the purchase of the Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project in northeast Victoria. Land holding covers 194km2 across two granted exploration licenses located in Australia’s premier Porphyry Copper-Gold geological terrain. 

The Bethanga project is located in the same geological host as the world class Cadia-Ridgeway and Northparkes Porphyry Copper-Gold projects further north in NSW. The project area is recognized by Geological Survey of Victoria as a region prospective for Porphyry Copper-Gold and VHMS mineralisation. 

Bethanga has historically been mined for copper and gold at the turn of the century (118kOz Au at 39g/t and 618t Cu) and there has seen no exploration activity since 1987. 

Figure 1: Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project, Victoria
Figure 2: Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project, Victoria
Figure 3: Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project, Victoria
Figure 4: Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project, Victoria
Photo 1: Bethanga Porphyry Copper - Gold project historical workings and exposed gossan

Project Details

  • The project site is located 300km northeast of Melbourne and 30km east of the major regional centre of Albury Wadonga.
  • Combined area of the two tenements is 194km2 (EL006920 141km2 / EL06517 53km2).
  • The project areas were mined at the turn of the century and produced 118kOz Au at 39g/t and 618t Cu from selectively mined narrow north-northeast trending quartz reefs developed within shear zones. The quartz veins are <1m wide and were mined down to 30-40m depth.

Nexus Work Program

The Porphyry Cu-Au Fertility Assessment has been completed. Nexus is please to announce the study returned a positive results (ASX Release 09/03/23).

Nexus will commence diamond drill planning of the Bethanga project.

Bethanga Exploration Update

  • Porphyry Cu-Au fertility study returns positive outcomes with Bethanga considered highly prospective for hosting a porphyry Cu-Au system
  • Drill targets identified – diamond drill hole planning underway
  • The porphyry target zone covers ~8km x 3km, with a high priority target zone of ~3km x 1.5km
  • Aeromagnetic and ground magnetic surveys confirm existence of multi-phase magnetic intrusive complex – indicative of the core of a porphyry Cu-Au system
  • Rock lithogeochemistry indicates the intrusive rocks are consistent with emplacement into a tectonic porphyry environment
  • Rock samples of hornblende-bearing granodiorite to diorite compositions plot in the prospective field for western Pacific porphyry Cu systems
  • Soil geochemistry returns commodity and trace element enrichment expected in the upper levels of a porphyry Cu system
  • Elemental association is that of magmatic – hydrothermal fluids originating from a fertile porphyry Cu system
  • Dr Dennis Arne (Telemark Geosciences) – geochemist with 40 years’ experience leads the technical team
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