CuFe Ltd (ASX:CUF) has locked in arrangements for the mobilisation of reverse circulation (RC) drilling equipment to the North Dam Project, 41 kilometres southeast of Coolgardie in Western Australia, with the drills to start spinning this month.
Niobium, rare earths and lithium
The company is keen to test exploration results that have to date generated multiple targets across five target areas.
Drill pads and access tracks have been established for the wide-spaced drilling, which will target four areas of the tenement for niobium, rare earths and lithium across 20 holes and 2,500 metres.
The program will kick off in the northeast of the project areas, following the LCT pegmatite trends supported by recent soil surveys and geochemical analysis.
The company has secured all the land access agreements and regulatory approvals it needs for the maiden program. A final pre-clearance and monitoring survey was conducted by the Marlinyu Ghoorlie Traditional Owner Group in late July ahead of pad preparation and access.
"Excited to commence"
CuFe executive director Mark Hancock said: “We are excited and eager to commence the program at North Dam with the exploration to date defining potential for lithium, niobium and rare earths.
“The relatively wide-spaced drilling allows our geology team to better understand the regional geology and focus on priority target areas of anomalous mineralisation.
“We remain positive on the longer-term demand for critical minerals and this program is an important step to defining the potential of the North Dam Project.
Support from traditional owners
“Local winter rainfall has resulted in some delays but we thank the Marlinyu Ghoorlie Traditional Owner Group for their ongoing support and are pleased to have engaged local indigenous earthworks contractors and to be supporting the wider Kalgoorlie community.”
Local drilling contractor Challenge Drilling has been appointed to run the program. The company specialises in RC mineral exploration and drilling and has recent experience drilling in the immediate area.
Both the team and the equipment will be assembled on site this week and the campaign should take around two weeks.
Results from the drilling program will be analysed and assay results are expected to be received in October, pending lab turnaround times.