Surefire Resources NL (ASX:SRN) has been busy at the Perenjori iron tenement E70/5311 in WA, with a program of sampling, the discovery of rare earth elements and an environmental survey on track.
During a reconnaissance site visit in December 2022, the company took 17 samples from interesting lithologies within the exploration tenement on the periphery of the existing Perenjori iron resource.
The sampling of newly discovered pegmatites on the property has returned “significantly anomalous” results, with a maximum of 345 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO) in one sample.
Additional sampling in the vicinity of the pegmatite, and elsewhere on the tenement, also returned anomalous TREO values.
Pegmatites were found on the eastern periphery of a kaolinised sheared granite contact between the sediments, hosting the Perenjori iron deposit, and an intruded granite stock to the east.
The results indicate that REEs are contained either in the pegmatites within the granitoid, the sheared kaolinised granite/sediment contact zone, or all of the above.
Kaolin detected
The southeastern portion of the tenement hosts a historical kaolin occurrence and additional kaolin occurrences have been noted in outcrop within the Surefire tenements during the reconnaissance field trip.
Kaolin has recently been recognised as a host for rare earth mineralisation within Australia and internationally; examples are the Georgia kaolin mines (Georgia State University USA), Cloud Nine (investingnews.com.au) and Caralue Bluff (smallcaps.com.au).
Kaolin has become a primary source for production of high-purity alumina (HPA) for use in lithium-ion batteries, with 4HPA a high-value product currently valued at around $30,000 per tonne.
The anomalous rare earth mineralisation occurs close to the eastern tenement boundary of the tenement hosting the Perenjori iron deposit.
Surefire has applied for an additional exploration licence contiguous with this licence to the east.
The company has plans for a GIS review of the aeromagnetic imagery, detailed geological mapping, local geochemistry and follow-up shallow drill testing to explore the Perenjori pegmatites and kaolin occurrences.
The historical focus of aeromagnetic interpretation was the huge Perenjori iron banded iron formations (BIF).
An initial recent review of aeromagnetic data suggests the pegmatites are structurally controlled and that additional similar trending repetitions could occur within the current exploration licence and the new licence in application.
Comprehensive environmental survey
Environmental consultants were contracted to conduct a comprehensive flora and vegetation database review for the BIF on the tenement as a requirement of obtaining a program of work for the planned 6,000-metre infill reverse circulation (RC) drilling program. A report is due by early February 2023.
The report will detail the background of the study area, the survey methodology, desktop assessment results and field survey results, including mapping of vegetation types, fauna habitats, conservation significant flora and fauna, and significant vegetation communities.