Perenti Prospect, MacDonald Downs Station, Central Desert Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Perenti Prospect	Prospect
MacDonald Downs Station	- not defined -
Central Desert Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

Copper prospect. Considered sub-economic, however analysis is largely based on three drill-hole cores from 1969. No further exploration has been found since at the prospect.

The prospect was discovered by the Central Pacific Minerals NL/Magellan Petroleum (N.T.) Pty Ltd in 1968, with subsequently three drill-holes sunk. The prospect is part of a north-west trending shear, being a splay from the large Delny-Mt. Sainthill Shear Zone, cutting across the Mount Swan Granite. The Perenti Reef is 850 metres long and 450 metres wide containing disseminated copper mineralisation in quartz breccia reef.

There have been detailed studies of the three drill cores, starting with Central Pacific Minerals NL in 1969, then Mithril Resources 2008. The two studies generally agree with each other, with the exception that the latter states Central Pacific over emphasised the presence of hematite. They also note there is poor labelling of the drill cores in storage at the N.T.G.S site at Alice Springs.

Drill core 1: (Central Pacific) 0-468.11 feet- Foliated granite consisting of quartz-chlorite-biotite-feldspar, with quartz (schistose, brecciated and veined), two thin layers of amphibolite; 468.11-516.5 feet- quartz reef with dark green to grey chlorite granite, chalcopyrite grains and veins up to 2% volume of the rock, brecciated in places with grey quartz matrix, with white quartz fragments, hematite and limonite veins and stains on joint surfaces associated with scarce gneiss fragments, some poor quality amethyst, specular hematite in hematite rich areas; 516.5-558.1 feet- chlorite rich granite with thin chalcopyrite bearing quartz veins, with fluorite and hematite.

Drill core 2 : (Central Pacific) 0-436.1 feet- Foliated granite consisting of orthoclase, white plagioclase, and quartz augen, separated by biotite-chlorite laminae; 463.1-446.8 feet- breccia. Chlorite-hematite matrix enclosing red feldspar and quartz fragments 2mm-10cms in diameter, with thin quartz veins containing chalcopyrite and pyrite; 446.8-466.5 feet- quartz reef. Grey and green chlorite-quartz breccia, then lower grey to white quartz containing disseminated grains of chalcopyrite and pyrite up to 2% volume, then lower fluorite matrix with hematite fragments and lastly limonitic stains. Barren cavities throughout; 466.5-471.4 feet- breccia. Hematite/quartz or chlorite matrix, with quartz, chlorite, hematite or fluorite fragments; 471.4-478.8 feet- quartz reef sulphide barren; 478.8-550.0 feet- Red coloured hematite separated by buff coloured chlorite, cut by hematite and quartz veins, containing fluorite fragments, and up to 2 cms diameter pyrite aggregates; 550.0-613.5 feet- Deep red porphyritic feldspar-hematite rock in black to greenish hematite-chlorite matrix, with fine pyrite, and pyrite aggregates, lower are quartz rich patches with occasional lime green chlorite.

The source accessed omitted the third core. However Rodhe (2010) states drill core 1 is pink foliated granite with very minor dark coloured breccia veins. Drill core 2 as well foliated granite, quartz, massive pink feldspar with little quartz and minor chlorite, then quartz feldspar porphyry. Drill core 3 as foliated granite, quartz rich fracture veins with abundant pyrite, chalcopyrite and chalcocite associated with quartz, then brecciated granite with pink feldspar, minor cross-cutting quartz veins, and chlorite matrix with minor sulphides.

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References