Daly Resources Commences Airborne EM Survey at Broughton Copper-Zinc Project
Key Takeaways
- Daly Resources has commenced a VTEM airborne electromagnetic survey covering approximately 2,018 line kilometres at 400-metre line spacing across two priority blocks within granted exploration licences EL32992 and EL32993 at the Broughton copper-zinc project.
- The NT Government is co-funding $150,000 (inc. GST) under Round 19 of its Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations Program, directly reducing Daly's exploration spend for this phase.
- This is the first modern airborne electromagnetic dataset over the Broughton priority target corridors, positioned approximately 600 kilometres southeast of Darwin in the northern McArthur Basin.
- The survey targets sediment-hosted copper-zinc mineralisation within the Carpentaria Zinc Belt using a hybrid petroleum-minerals systems approach, with analogues including the Century deposit in Queensland.
- Survey results will be integrated with existing geochemical and geological data to define and prioritise drill targets — no drilling timeline has been disclosed yet.
Daly Resources has commenced a government co-funded airborne electromagnetic survey at its Broughton copper-zinc project in the Northern Territory. The survey covers ~2,018 line kilometres at 400 metre line spacing across two priority blocks within granted exploration licences EL32992 and EL32993, supported by $150,000 (inc. GST) co-funding under Round 19 of the NT Government’s Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations Program. This delivers Daly’s first modern airborne electromagnetic dataset over the priority target corridors at Broughton, positioned approximately 600 kilometres southeast of Darwin in the northern McArthur Basin.
Survey snapshot: the key numbers
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Survey type | Airborne VTEM electromagnetic |
| Coverage | ~2,018 line km at 400m spacing |
| Tenements | EL32992 & EL32993 (two priority blocks) |
| Government co-funding | $150,000 inc. GST (Round 19) |
| Location | ~600km SE of Darwin, northern McArthur Basin |
The VTEM survey is designed to map four key subsurface features:
- Conductive stratigraphy — identifying rock layers that conduct electricity, which may host mineralisation
- Basin architecture — understanding how sedimentary units are stacked and configured
- Structural corridors — locating faults and folds that may have channelled metal-bearing fluids
- Discrete conductive anomalies — pinpointing specific targets that warrant follow-up investigation
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Why VTEM matters — the exploration edge
Airborne electromagnetic surveys detect variations in subsurface conductivity from the air, allowing Daly to map buried geology without committing to expensive drilling. VTEM works by transmitting electromagnetic pulses into the ground and measuring how the subsurface responds — conductive rocks (like sulphide mineralisation or graphitic shales) generate stronger signals than resistive rocks.
For you as an investor, this technology lets Daly prioritise where to drill, reducing both risk and cost before putting rigs on the ground. This is the first modern dataset over these corridors, and it will be integrated with existing geochemical and geological data to refine drill targets. That means the company can direct capital toward the highest-probability zones rather than testing blind.
The Broughton copper-zinc thesis
Broughton targets sediment-hosted copper-zinc mineralisation within the northern McArthur Basin, part of the broader Carpentaria Zinc Belt. The exploration model applies a hybrid petroleum-minerals systems approach — a framework informed by analogues such as Century in Queensland.
The concept is straightforward. Metal-bearing basin fluids move through permeable stratigraphy and major structural corridors. When those fluids encounter reduced sedimentary units, hydrocarbons, or favourable trap sites, sulphide deposition occurs. Historical exploration has defined multiple base metal prospects and broad copper-zinc surface geochemical anomalism across the project area. Daly considers these features may represent leakage from a concealed mineral system beneath.
The VTEM survey tests this model by mapping where conductive stratigraphic horizons and structural corridors align with surface anomalism. The key mineral-system components at Broughton include:
- Potential metal sources within the Katherine River Group
- Evaporite-bearing units capable of generating basin brines that transport metals
- Organic-rich Roper Group facies acting as chemical reductants that precipitate sulphides
- Interpreted structures and fold-related traps that may have focused fluid movement and metal deposition
What this tells you is that Daly is targeting district-scale discovery potential over a large, underexplored area where the geological ingredients for a significant base metal system are present.
Mike Edwards, Executive Chairman
“We are pleased to have commenced the VTEM survey at Broughton, marking an important step in advancing this highly prospective copper-zinc project. The survey will deliver Daly’s first modern airborne electromagnetic dataset across priority target corridors in the northern McArthur Basin and is designed to test the relationship between surface copper-zinc anomalism, favourable stratigraphy and interpreted structural corridors. By mapping conductive stratigraphy and discrete conductive anomalies, the program is expected to materially improve our ability to define higher-confidence targets for follow-up exploration, helping us refine and prioritise where we ultimately position our drill holes.”
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What comes next
Survey work is now underway. Results will be integrated with existing geological and geochemical datasets to refine and prioritise drill targets across the Broughton project area. Priority will be given to areas where conductive responses coincide with favourable stratigraphy, structural complexity and copper-zinc anomalism.
No specific completion date or drilling timeline has been disclosed beyond the survey itself. What you know is that the dataset will inform target definition, and that government co-funding has de-risked this phase of exploration spend. Daly holds more than 6,500 km² of granted Northern Territory tenure across three projects (Huckitta, Broughton, Batten), giving multi-commodity, multi-project exposure.
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