Parkway Minerals NL (ASX:PWN) has identified drill targets through passive seismic surveys at its 100% owned Lake Barlee Salt Lake Potash Project located in Western Australia.
The survey identified deep palaeochannels at depths of up to 160 metres below the current lake surface.
Work is advancing to obtain the necessary clearances and approvals to commence drill testing.
Patrick McManus, managing director, commented: “We are heartened to see well-developed channels in the lake bed.
“The planned drilling program will establish the brine composition and whether the channels are rich in gravels.”
Lake Barlee Project
The Lake Barlee Project comprises ten granted exploration licences and three pending titles covering 1,956 square kilometres, almost the entire salt lake.
The lake is being targeted for sulphate of potash (SOP), which can potentially be extracted from brines in basal sand units within the lake sediments.
READ NOW: Parkway Minerals confirms deep paleo-channels at Lake Barlee
The purpose of the recent survey was to identify ancient alluvial creeks that could host potassium rich brine solutions suitable for use in the production of SOP fertilisers.
What the survey found
The survey has identified channels up to 1600 metres wide which appear coherent over a strike of up to 8 kilometres.
The main channel appears to be striking roughly east-west, running closer to the current northern shoreline, which is fed by a series of tributaries.
The proximity of the main channel to the current shoreline will make access by drill equipment easier.
The passive seismic technique has shown to be an effective tool for mapping the basement topograpghy and identifying potential palaeochannels.
This offers a cheap and effective technique to rapidly assess the project area.
Proof-of-concept drill program
Parkway now has clear targets within the lake to complete its proof-of-concept drill program.
The aim of the program will be to test for the presence of alluvial channels within the basement lows and collect brine samples to determine the concentration of potash and other elements.
Work is advancing to obtain the necessary heritage clearances and pre-drilling approvals.