PVW Resources NL (ASX:PVW) will further investigate the rare earth elements (REE) potential of Killi Killi Hills prospect within its Tanami Project in northeast Western Australia.
This work will include a full review of previous exploration results in the early 2010s by Orion Metals (ORM), with a focus on targeting unconformity-related REE deposits.
To facilitate this work, the company has boosted its exploration team with the addition of consultant geologist Robin Wilson, who worked as exploration manager at Northern Minerals Ltd (ASX:NTU) and is a leading expert on heavy rare earths (HRE) exploration.
Exploration team enhanced
The company has enhanced its exploration team led by exploration manager Karl Weber with the addition of two exploration geologists.
Wilson has held senior exploration positions in several exploration and mining companies, including Northern Minerals, Polaris Metals NL (ASX:POL), Tanganyika Gold, Troy Resources and CRA Exploration.
During his 30 years of involvement in mineral exploration, Wilson has worked on gold, nickel, phosphate, copper, REE and uranium projects throughout Australia and Africa.
Between 2006 and 2021, he led the Northern Minerals’ exploration team that discovered the Browns Range REE deposits, which have been developed and delivered HRE carbonate to the world.
Finn Hunter, a geologist with three years’ experience and a strong background in geophysics, has also joined the exploration team.
Working previously with IGO Ltd (ASX:IGO) focused on exploring in remote areas for various commodities, Finn will be a valuable team member to advance the projects.
Rare earth opportunity
During the early 2010s, ORM reported HRE assay results from rock chip samples taken at Killi Killi Hills prospect within PVW Resources tenement E80/4029 uranium and gold discovery.
Killi Killi Hills is at the regional unconformity between younger Gardiner Sandstone and older Killi Killi basement rocks.
This geological setting is analogous to that of the HRE deposits at the Browns Range Project owned by Northern Minerals and in particular the Dazzler deposit.
ORM completed RC drilling at the prospect in 2010 and 2012 and reported that the drilling in 2010 returned narrow intersections of anomalous REE.
PVW Resources intends to further investigate the REE potential of the prospect, including a full review of the ORM exploration results, with a focus on targeting unconformity-related REE deposits.
This work will be run in conjunction with the gold exploration program on the Tanami project, starting with an airborne magnetic and radiometric survey to commence next quarter.
Geophysics update
In preparation for the planned detailed airborne survey, PVW has consulted with Southern Geoscience Consultants to undertake a review of current remote sensing and geophysical data.
The process is nearing completion and will aid in interpretation and targeting following magnetic data acquisition.
Processing of available magnetics, gravity and satellite data has already assisted geological understanding and target development.
Depth to basement analyses of a trial area to investigate application of depth to magnetic basement has been utilised and careful processing is taking into account weak magnetisation of the sediments and non-uniformity of the granites has allowed for further refinement to the current interpretation.
Lack of magnetic drainage in the data has also facilitated the benefit to be gained from analysis of low amplitude magnetic data.
Processing has resolved depths to a possible buried granite proximal to the Killi Killi West gold prospect and parts of this body are estimated at less than 100 metres depth.
Other contacts through the sedimentary areas are also interpreted as possible approximations for cover-bedrock, or weakly magnetic layers within or between the sediments.
These observations will be evaluated following the detailed magnetic survey and during future field campaigns.