Dundas Minerals expands Albany-Fraser Orogen exploration footprint with new licence
As Lithium Australia advances its battery recycling technologies, the company continues progressing its exploration projects.
Dundas Minerals (ASX: DUN) has extended its exploration footprint in Western Australia’s Albany-Fraser Orogen with the grant of another licence E63/2116, which is part of the wider namesake project.
The company now has eight out of 12 project tenements granted, with the remaining four expected to be secured by mid-year.
This latest exploration licence E63/2116 spans 112 square kilometres and partially covers the western portion of the recently identified Matilda South prospect.
Matilda South
Late last year, Dundas completed a detailed gravity survey across Matilda South, with results reaffirming an earlier interpretation that a gravity anomaly is due to a mafic/ultramafic intrusion, which is associated with nickel and copper mineralisation.
Modelling indicates the anomaly extends from 70m below surface to beyond 1,000m.
Dundas has likened the anomaly to IGO Ltd’s (ASX: IGO) Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper deposit in the region.
To assist with refining drill targets for Matilda South, Dundas will complete ground-based electro-magnetic and audio magnetic telluric geophysical surveys.
The surveys will help identify potential conductive targets that may indicate sulphides associated with nickel-copper mineralisation.
These surveys will be carried out next month, with drilling pencilled in for mid-year once requisite approvals have been received.
Other exploration across project
In parallel with surveys across the project, Dundas is drilling two priority prospects – Kokoda (gold) and Jumbuck (nickel).
All-up, 15 holes were completed at Kokoda by mid-January. The rig then moved to Jumbuck where a further 15 holes will be undertaken.
Soil sampling has also been carried out at the North-East nickel-copper prospect.
Sought after mineral district
Dundas listed on the ASX in November last year after raising $6 million in its IPO.
The company describes the Albany-Fraser Orogen as one of WA’s “most sought after mineral districts”.
As well as hosting the Nova-Bollinger deposit and operation, the region is home to AngloGold Ashanti’s (ASX: AGG) and Regis Resources’ (ASX: RRL) Tropicana gold mine.
Dundas’ landholding in the district covers 1,200 square kilometres and has not been subjected to any modern exploration techniques.
The company described the district as “highly prospective” for another discovery.