Anson Resources Ltd’s (ASX:ASN) recent review of historical and recent exploration data at the Ajana project in Western Australia has identified multiple high-grade zinc, copper, lead and silver exploration targets.
As a result, the company is planning to recommence base metal exploration at tenements E66/89 and E66/94.
The initial focus will be on historical mines where high-grade mineralisation has been identified and known resources can be quickly increased to support the recommencement of mining to take advantage of current higher prices.
High-grade targets
The review of Ajana project data identified shallow historic high-grade mining operations which remain mostly unexplored – representing an opportunity to increase the JORC resource.
These include:
- Ethel Maude Mine workings which recorded high-grade zinc, lead and silver;
- Surprise Mine workings which recorded high-grade copper and silver; and
- Mary Springs Mine workings and 2017 drilling which indicates high-grade lead, zinc, and silver with extensions along strike and at depth.
Table showing the target areas and grades of minerals previously sampled.
Potential resource extension
The data reviewed by Anson was also correlated with the VTEM targets within the Ajana project, many of which had not been located by the historical surveys.
Anson is confident this represents an opportunity to extend existing known resources, including a possible extension along strike from the historic Mary Springs lead mine.
The JORC resource for lead at Mary Springs covered a strike length of 230 metres while the target areas indicated by the VTEM and soil sample anomalies cover 1,200 metres and have an east-west extent of between 30 and 50 metres.
This may also apply to other prospects where mining activity has previously been conducted including Ethel Maude, Geraldine South and the Surprise prospects.
Possible grade increase
While most of the known prospects have been identified along northeast trending dolerite dykes and considered to be ‘in echelon’ type (parallel formation) deposits, similar to the Mary Springs mine, historic exploration also identified a number of prospects were between dykes that were cross-cut by faults.
This may increase the grade of mineralisation as has occurred with the zinc at Ethel Maude.
In addition, it was identified that soil sampling has not been conducted over all of the prospect areas, providing further exploration opportunity.
Plan showing the Ajana target areas with VTEM and zinc, lead and copper soil anomalies.
Looking forwards
Planning for a limited low-cost exploration program at Ajana has commenced and land access and heritage agreements with local owners have been signed.
Anson is preparing a Plan of Works (PoW) for submission to the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) for consideration and expects that the exploration program will begin towards the end of 2020.
The Paradox Brine Project in the US remains the Anson’s main focus but while a Plan of Operations (PoO) to progress the project to the next stage is assessed by the US Government’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Anson will continue exploration on Ajana in order to advance the project and provide further shareholder value.