Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX:M2R) has discovered shallow rare earth element (REE) mineralisation at its Lang Well Project in the Murchison region of WA.
Reconnaissance aircore drilling beneath two historical auger anomalies intersected the shallow REE mineralisation in several holes over a significant lateral extent.
Lang Well Project showing aircore results in relation to historic auger anomalism.
Highlights
Significant aqua-regia results from the initial aircore program include:
- 4 metres @ 930 ppm TREO from 20 metres, including 145 ppm neodymium oxide (Nd2O3);
- 4 metres @ 671 ppm TREO from 24 metres;
- 12 metres @ 533 ppm TREO from 16 metres;
- 4 metres @ 697 ppm TREO from 24 metres;
- 4 metres @ 830 ppm TREO from 16 metres;
- 8 metres @ 765 ppm TREO from 8 metres; and
- 4 metres @ 646 ppm TREO from 12 metres.
The company plans follow-up aircore drilling at the project, believing a significant area to be untested.
Miramar Resources executive chairman Allan Kelly said the drilling confirmed the existence of REE mineralisation at Lang Well and that only a tiny portion of the extensive auger anomalism at the project had been tested.
Anomalies stretching over kilometres
“Each of the historical auger anomalies stretches over several kilometres, with some of the best new aircore results at the southern end of the previously untested Boundary Bore target,” he said.
“Given the very large spatial extent of the historic auger anomalism, there is potential for a significant amount of shallow REE mineralisation to be outlined at Lang Well.”
The initial reconnaissance aircore program tested beneath historic samarium and gold auger anomalies at the Toben Bore and Boundary Bore targets with a single line of 100 metre-spaced aircore holes drilled across each target using existing station tracks and fence lines.
At Toben Bore, the REE mineralisation extends over a horizontal distance of around 400 metres while, at Boundary Bore, the REE mineralisation is at least 200 metres wide and open to the south.
Results as high as 4 metres @ 930 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth elements (TREO) and 8 metres @ 765 ppm TREO have been obtained from this initial program.
The company notes that samples were assayed using an aqua-regia digest, which under-reports the total REE content when compared with a stronger 4-acid digest or Lithium Borate fusion.
When compared with the historical sample from Toben Bore, which returned 4 metres @ 1500 ppm TREO, it appears the aqua-regia digest may under-report the actual TREO results by as much as 30 to 40%.
All samples reporting more than 500 ppm TREO have been resubmitted for priority analysis using the Lithium Borate Fusion technique.
Follow-up aircore drilling has been planned to further test the extensive historic auger anomalism, including on the adjacent tenement, once it is granted.