OzAurum Resources Ltd (ASX:OZM) has identified widespread niobium in soil sampling at its Salitre Project in Brazil as the company prepares for diamond drilling in the coming weeks.
The company has recorded anomalous niobium in soil results extending over a 1-square-kilometre area at Target 1 at Salitre.
Target 1 is a cluster of nine UV anomalies occurring over a 400-metre-long arc in a deep red soil profile.
OzAurum collected 69 soil samples on nine east-west soil traverses on a 100-metre sample spacing. Soil samples were taken from a depth of around 20 centimetres below the surface.
Results included a peak niobium value of 271 ppm in soils and total rare earth oxide (TREO) of 979 ppm adjacent to nine ultraviolet (UV) anomalies forming a cluster with coincident gamma radiation readings of up to 435 counts per second (CPS) — up to 10 times above background readings from the area.
The coincident anomalism of tantalum, hafnium and thorium follows the same pattern as niobium. These are high field strength elements that along with niobium are immobile in the regolith profile.
OzAurum says that this strongly suggests a niobium-rich carbonatite intrusion as the source of the anomalism and they support and validate the company’s niobium carbonatite intrusion exploration model.
Alto Paranaba Magmatic Province-OZM Brazil Niobium + REE project areas.
OzAurum CEO and managing director Andrew Pumphrey said: “We are excited to confirm our initial discovery of niobium mineralisation in soil sampling with a cluster of co-incidental UV anomalies that has now extended over a 1-kilometre square area.”
Drilling planned
OzAurum plans to commence diamond drilling at Target 1 with two diamond drill holes proposed to be drilled to 200 metres depth.
The company-owned diamond drilling rig along with the OZM drilling crew are ready to be mobilised to site once environmental approval is received, which is expected to take around two weeks.
Pumphrey said, “The OZM Saltire and Catalao projects are situated within the Alto Paranaba Magmatic Province (APMP) that accounts for 97% of worldwide niobium production, all hosted in carbonatite intrusions.
“I can’t wait to see our diamond drill rig testing this anomaly and the exploration opportunity that this project presents to OZM shareholders.”
Target 1 niobium soil anomaly with proposed diamond drill locations.
The Saltire project, along with the company’s Catalao project, are within the Alto Paranaba Magmatic Province — a prolific host of carbonatite intrusions that accounts for 97% of worldwide niobium production.
The Salitre Project is adjacent to the Salitre and Serra Negra carbonatite complexes that host significant niobium and phosphate mineral resources.
Open pit mining and processing at the Salitre carbonatite produces phosphate, which in turn hosts niobium and rare earth minerals.