Aurumin Ltd (ASX:AUN) has started mapping and ultrafine soil sampling across its Greater Sandstone Project in Western Australia.
The program is designed to aid in the assessment of the project, including new tenements, with samples collected to support mapping, interpretation and target generation.
Aurumin is conducting the soil sampling program using ultrafine soil geochemistry which is designed to provide systematic levelled geochemical coverage across whole tenements.
The portion of the program covering Aurumin’s new tenement E57/1140 is 2/3 complete, on a 100m x 200m spacing, with sampling ongoing and currently collected samples submitted to the lab for analysis.
Tenement E57/1140 & P57/1515 with soil sampling locations underlaid with GSWA 100k Geology over TILTNE_50m Magnetic signature.
Aurumin managing director Brad Valiukas said: “We continue to progress our dual focussed approach at Sandstone, being to both generate new targets and optimise existing resources, with a clear focus on generating critical mass for future production.
“E57/1140 has seen relatively little exploration work and remains under explored, despite being just 4km from the existing processing plant location at the closest point.”
Work program
The overall work program is designed to systematically cover the majority of Aurumin’s Greater Sandstone Project, which includes granted tenements and tenement applications with ultrafine soil geochemistry.
This program has commenced with coverage of tenement E57/1140.
Ultrafine soil geochemistry targets the <2 µm size fraction within the same soil horizon as conventional soil sampling, a nominal sample depth of 25 cm.
CSIRO developed this method to help see through shallow to moderate cover.
By taking such fine fraction the method looks to reduce the nugget effect while also increasing the signal to background ratio, providing more resolution in the bottom end towards the detection limit which may have potential in identifying subtle soil anomalies.
Sandstone Projects location map.
A total of 49 elements are analysed. Most of the sampling covers areas previously sparsely tested or untested by either soil sampling or reconnaissance drilling.
Samples will be acquired to test magnetic anomalies and interpreted structural positions, to characterise prospective lithologies, test anomalism indicated by historical datasets and areas acquire new data where no previous sampling has been completed.
Overlap with historical data, where available, has been allowed to provide a levelled data set, validate, and test historical data, acquire robust multi-element data where typically gold only data is available and to utilise the higher sensitivity of the Ultrafine method through cover sequences.
Targeted orientation surveys are also planned over recent auger and historical auger anomalies at the Central Sandstone Project to assist in determining the most efficient methods and techniques for generation, refinement, and evaluation of drill targets across Aurumin’s Sandstone exploration projects.
Important step in moving the project forward
Valiukas added: “This soil sampling, on E57/1140 and other tenements, is an important and systematic step in moving the project forward.
“We are also progressing with an updated resource model for a combined Shillington and Two Mile Hill and look forward to releasing the model results, expected this month, and plans for the next round of drilling.”