Westar Resources Ltd (ASX:WSR) has identified nine high-priority volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) targets at Gidgee North in the Sandstone region of WA after collating datasets.
Interpreted results from a fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) survey covered nine SkyTEM anomalies, all of which have now been defined as high-priority VMS targets for copper-zinc-lead.
The targets identified are based on a combination of exploration activities undertaken by Westar including a FLEM survey, soil sampling geochemistry and an updated litho-structural interpretation.
There are potential analogies to the nearby Altair copper-zinc prospect of Horizon Gold that returned 44 metres at 1.2% copper from 56 metres and 20 metres at 1.1% copper from 64 metres.
The company is scheduled to commence drilling in the second quarter of 2022.
"Exceptional and rare opportunity"
Westar managing director Karl Jupp said: “These are simply exceptional VMS targets, resulting from diligent and systematic exploration at our Gidgee North Project.
“The cluster of high-priority targets at the Youno Downs Camp, along with additional blue-sky potential between the Breakaway Bore and Griffin prospects represents an exceptional and rare opportunity in the mature exploration environment of Western Australia.
“Our plan from here is to progress immediately to planning for our maiden drilling program, which is scheduled to commence early Q2 CY2022.”
Westar Resources received all multi-element assay results from an infill and extensional soil sampling program, and plate models from a recently completed FLEM program over previously identified SkyTEM targets.
This data has assisted to further refine base-metal targets.
The targets were identified from collating datasets including:
➢ Recently completed FLEM;
➢ Positive magnetic and gravity geophysical anomalies;
➢ VMS pathfinder geochemistry across three FLEM conductors;
➢ Permissive host lithologies and structures; and
➢ Clustering of anomalies, including along strike of the Altair prospect (Horizon Gold Ltd (ASX:HRN)).
Next steps
Westar is immediately progressing with drill planning, approvals and field preparation for a maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling of high-priority targets at Gidgee North early in the June quarter of 2022.
A drilling contractor has already been secured.
Westar will also begin planning additional exploration activities including infilling datasets for airborne, ground gravity and geochemistry over prospective greenstone terrane between the Breakaway Bore and Griffin prospects.
Westar has started a desk-top targeting review of gold targets over the Gidgee North Project based on known mineralisation styles in the Gum Creek Greenstone Belt and its extensive datasets.
Gidgee North Project
The project forms one of the two Sandstone projects - Gidgee North (granted E53/1920 and E51/2044 that is under application) and Gidgee South (E57/1055, M57/352, P57/1363 and P57/1368) covering around 315 square kilometres.
These projects lie within the Gum Creek Greenstone Belt of the Youami Terrane, which forms a lensed, broadly sinusoidal belt measuring 100 kilometres by 24 kilometres.
The Gum Creek Greenstone Belt has historically produced more than 1 million ounces of gold and hosts in excess of 1.35 million ounces of gold mineral resource.
Various targets have been defined within the current project tenures by former explorers, many of which are considered by Westar to remain inconclusively tested.
In addition, large areas of the project remain essentially unexplored despite covering favourable geological and structural settings.