Dundas Minerals kicks off AMT survey to find drill targets under cover
Dundas managing director Shane Volk said the geophysical data was “extremely encouraging and exciting”.
Dundas Minerals (ASX: DUN) has begun its high frequency audio magnetotellurics (AMT) geophysical survey in the next stage of its nickel, copper and gold hunt in the Southern Albany-Fraser Orogen (AFO) of Western Australia.
The survey will involve the North-East and Matilda South prospects.
The company, which listed on the ASX last November, has a project area southwest of Norseman that is overlain by recent sand, calcrete and immature sedimentary rocks varying in thickness from 5m to 30m.
The survey will measure local magnetic and electrical fields, with the aim of identifying conductive anomalies beneath the regolith cover, and eventually to identify drill targets.
The surveys are coincident with modelled gravity anomalies at both the company’s Matilda South and the North-East prospects.
Exploration model based on Nova-Bollinger discovery
Drill testing of the Dundas-owned prospects is required to confirm the interpreted rock type and to test for possible mineralisation.
The exploration model for the prospects is magmatic sulphide mineralisation similar to that at the Nova-Bollinger deposit which is located 150km northeast of Matilda South.
The Nova deposit, owned by Independence Group (ASX: IGO), in 2021 has production guidance on a minimum 27,000 tonnes of nickel, 11,000t of copper and 850t of cobalt.
As Dundas has noted, although long recognised for its exploration potential, the AFO lay relatively under-explored before the Tropicana discovery due to its remoteness.
First round of drilling this year
The company is currently working towards a first round of drilling in mid-2022.
Dundas’ interpretation is that there are a series of mafic/ultramafic intrusions within its 1,200 sq km licence area which are “extremely encouraging” in terms of possible prospectivity and mineralisation.
The AFO had long been neglected by explorers, companies preferring terrains that allowed easier access and were located in established mineral provinces, where exploration would be cheaper.
The AFO first came to international attention in 2005, with the discovery by AngloGold Ashanti (ASX: AGG) of the 8-million-ounce Tropicana gold deposit.
That triggered a rush of pegging by companies looking to secure ground within the AFO.
In July 2012, the AFO again hit the headlines with the discovery of the Nova nickel-copper-cobalt deposit by the former Sirius Resources. The following year Sirius made the major Bollinger discovery.
Sirius was acquired for $1.8 billion in 2015 by Independence Group.