Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project

The 141km2 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. The project site is located 300km northeast of Melbourne and 30km east of the major regional centre of Albury Wadonga.

The Bethanga project is located in Australia’s premier Porphyry Copper-Gold geological terrain. The project area is 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 recognised by Geological Survey of Victoria as a regional 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 been 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
Bethanga location
Figure 4: Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold Project, Victoria
Photo 1: Bethanga Porphyry Copper - Gold project historical workings and exposed gossan

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 is planning to commence a 2,000m diamond drill program (4 x ~500m deep holes) in February 2024.
 

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
View All ASX announcements