West Wits Mining Limited (ASX:WWI) has executed a ground electromagnetic (EM) survey program over a suite of high-priority targets at its multi-element Mt Cecelia Project in Western Australia's Paterson Province.
Through the program, the developer behind South Africa's 3.55-million-ounce Witwatersrand Basin gold play confirmed that all four greenfields targets are related to legitimate bedrock conductors, meaning there could be strong mineralisation.
Following on from the campaign, further ground-based geological mapping and sampling is expected to kick off this month.
In the meantime, West Wits is modelling the survey data to create a series of first-pass drill targets for exploration during next year’s field season.
Paving the way for target definition
Commenting on the program’s conclusion, West Wits managing director Jac van Heerden said: “The completion of the MLTEM ground surveys pave the way for geological mapping and surface sampling programs which will conclude the 2021 field season before the northwest WA’s summer cyclone season.
“Once completed, the results from all of the programs carried out in the 2021 field program will be further analysed to clearly define our targets for the maiden drilling program to commence at Mt Cecelia in 2022.”
Echoing his statement, consultant geophysicist Russell Mortimer said the recent survey results and target outcomes, particularly for the SGC_1 prospect, looked compelling.
“… the bedrock conductor is now confirmed as discrete in nature, high conductance and highlighting a clear spatial correlation with a zone of de-magnetisation/magnetic source complexity.”
Survey says
West Wits first set out to conduct its moving loop transient electromagnetic (MLTEM) survey in a bid to better define the priority bedrock conductors that were assessed in a SKYTEM heliborne electromagnetic (HEM) survey late last year.
Southern Geoscience Consultants Pty Ltd, which interpreted the SKYTEM data, is also analysing the MLTEM findings and will collate the data to inform WWI’s maiden drilling campaign next year.
All up, 16 survey lines took place over the four target areas at Mt Cecelia, dubbed the SGC_1, SGC_2, SGC_3 and SGC_4 prospects.
SGC_1 was classed the highest priority target defined following the SKYTEM survey, given the clearly discrete nature of the anomalism and correlation with a zone of de-magnetisation in the local sequence.
Promisingly, the resultant MLTEM survey data has confirmed the presence of a strong, localised bedrock conductor, situated either within a zone of local de-magnetisation or at the contact of a complex magnetic unit and represents an immediate drill target.
The other targets, SGC_2, 3 and 4, are classed as second order-type targets based on the SKYTEM survey, given the larger conductor areal size and lower conductance levels.
However, these conductors could still be of interest for significant base metals pending the local geological model.
The follow-up MLTEM data has confirmed the presence of a weak-moderate bedrock conductor and indicates the remaining targets appear to be along strike from each other.
Next on the agenda
Moving ahead, West Wits is working on a ground geological program that will further investigate the physical geology of all four targets at Mt Cecelia.
The program will acquire expertise from a team of geological specialists out of SRK Consulting, which will advance the geological research.
The work is poised to kick off in the second half of this month, with the outcome to support the first-pass exploration drill planning.
Mt Cecelia
West Wits’ Mt Cecelia asset covers 225 square kilometres of prospective tenure on the border of WA’s famed East Pilbara and Paterson provinces.
It rubs shoulders with tenement packages managed by Rio Tinto PLC (LSE:RIO), Carawine Resources Ltd (ASX:CWX) and Rumble Resources Ltd (ASX:RTR) in a region that boasts a series of well-known base metal mines and deposits.
Last year, the ASX-lister pinpointed eight target areas during the SKYTEM survey, four of which were classified as high priority prospects.
The program also identified 132 anomalous responses that could be indicative of bedrock conductors.
