WA1 Resources reports rare earths enrichment at West Arunta IOGC project
WA1 Resources 的 West Arunta 项目正在进行首个钻探计划。
Remote region explorer WA1 Resources (ASX: WA1) has identified areas of elevated copper, potassium and rare earth elements (REE) following a surface sampling program.
The company noted that an enrichment in REE including cerium, yttrium and lanthanum is significant because these are traditionally associated with iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) mineralisation.
This presence further validates the exploration potential of the P1 target area at Pachpadra.
WA1’s West Arunta project is located in a remote region of Western Australia – 490km south of Halls Creek.
The project area has significance because WA1’s ground is contiguous to an area into which Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has committed to a staged $58.5 million farm-in and joint venture with a private company.
WA1 was listed on the ASX in February with its main objective being to discover a tier one mineral deposit in Western Australia’s underexplored regions.
Drilling set to begin in early July
Drilling is scheduled for early next month and this will include the P1 target.
In addition, pathfinder geochemistry supports the IOCG mineral exploration model, says WA1.
Additional assays from rock chip sampling are expected in the coming weeks.
Managing director Paul Savage said the sampling information is feeding into final drill target decisions.
P1 will be the key target because it lies at the peak of the Pachpadra geophysical anomaly.
Previous work in the entire project area had been limited to exploration for gold and copper largely in the form of reconnaissance airborne geophysics, limited ground surveys and surface sampling.
Outcrop poor with sand dunes and spinifex
Apart from Pachpadra, the West Arunta project contains the Sambhar and Urmia prospects.
Outcrop in the area is generally poor, with bedrock largely covered by tertiary sand dunes and spinifex country of the Gibson Desert.
The West Arunta Orogen is considered to be the portion of the Arunta Orogen commencing at, and west of, the Western Australia-Northern Territory border.
It is characterised by the dominant west-northwest trending Central Australian Suture, which defines the boundary between the Aileron Province to the north and the Warumpi Province to the south.