Fitzroy Minerals Inc. (TSXV: FTZ, OTCQX: FTZFF, FSE: C3Y) has announced the results of an integrated seismic and machine-learning (ML) targeting study completed with Fleet Space Technologies at the Buen Retiro Copper Project in Copiapo, Chile. The study generated a ranked set of nine priority exploration domains by combining 3D Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) data with prior geophysical surveys, geological models, and approximately 24,400 copper assays from 140 drill holes.
The ML model identified nine areas where subsurface characteristics closely resemble the signature of rocks hosting Buen Retiro’s known copper mineralization. These targets are all completely new and untested, located within 400 metres of the surface, and focus on gravel-covered geology while excluding previously mined ground or areas within 200 metres of an existing drill hole. The full details of the four datasets and copper assay results used in the new ML targeting are available in Click Here to see Table 1 - Summary of the 4 datasets and copper assay results used in the new ML targeting.
Fleet’s regional and infill ANT surveys mapped the project’s deeper geology well beyond the depths of current drilling by using natural seismic noise to build a 3D picture of the rock beneath the surface. This gives Fitzroy a 3D framework to trace known mineralized trends and identify new, previously untested opportunities down to approximately 400 metres, including toward the 100%-owned Sierra Fritis properties to the east. Extensive alluvial gravel cover in the area makes surface geological mapping, and therefore target generation, much more difficult.
Fitzroy has started a 5,000-metre drilling program using diamond and reverse circulation (RC) drill rigs. As drill logs and assay results come in, Fitzroy and Fleet will use the new data to update the ML model. Each new drill hole serves three purposes: testing a specific target, improving or validating the ML model, and helping to inform the next drilling decision.
Merlin Marr-Johnson, President and CEO of Fitzroy, commented: “We believe Buen Retiro shares many of the geological characteristics of the major iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposits at Candelaria and Mantoverde, yet the sulphide potential of the wider property has barely been tested. To date, the oxide copper mineralisation and its potential to support a low-capital-intensity, near-term production operation have been the focus. Now, however, we have a tool with which to test the exploration optionality of this large IOCG system in one of Chile’s most prolific copper-producing regions. By combining advanced 3D subsurface imaging with machine learning and our extensive drilling database, we can now identify and prioritise blind exploration targets beneath the gravel cover. If the ML targeting is successful it will be a cost-effective discovery tool, creating value for shareholders.”
The targeting method follows four steps: prediction, refinement, domains, and drill planning. The ML model learned the relationship between geophysical data and copper assays from existing drill holes to estimate a quantified uncertainty for any point in space within the survey area, aiming to predict zones where copper mineralization with grades above a 0.5% Cu threshold within 25-metre blocks might be located. Blocks were then removed if they fell within the mined-out open pit, mapped gravel cover, or within 200 metres of an existing drill hole. The remaining blocks were grouped into nine geographic domains, each representing a cluster of blocks with a similar predicted response within high-confidence range.
Fitzroy and Fleet are now reviewing drill orientations and sequencing for the list of exploration targets. All targets are within the top 400 metres of the surface, and Fitzroy has allocated 5,000 metres of combined RC and diamond drilling to test the new areas. As drill logs and assay results come in, the companies will compare them against the original target list and update the model accordingly, feeding new results into future versions to sharpen predictions and guide the next round of drill planning.
The new exploration domains are conceptual exploration targets that have not yet been tested by drilling. They mark areas where the combined geophysical and assay data look similar to Buen Retiro’s known zones of copper mineralization, but do not confirm the presence, grade, size, or continuity of mineralization. The reliability of the model depends on the quality and coverage of the underlying data and tends to decrease with distance from existing drill holes and with depth. For this reason, the targets are intended to be used alongside conventional geological interpretation and other exploration information, not in place of it.
Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo., Ph.D., PMP), a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and independent geological consultant to the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical information provided in the news release and verified the data disclosed.
Fitzroy Minerals is focused on exploring and developing copper assets with substantial upside potential in Chile. The Company’s two lead properties are the Buen Retiro Copper Project located near Copiapo, Chile, and the Caballos Copper Project, located in Valparaiso, Chile. Fitzroy Minerals’ shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol FTZ and on the OTCQX under the symbol FTZFF. This announcement was originally distributed via NEWMEDIAWIRE.
