West Australian gold explorer Artemis Resources Limited (ASX: ARV) and JV partner Platina Resources (PGM) has announced results with palladium grade of 1.49 g/t and platinum grade of 0.96 g/t from the DD and RC drill programs completed at Munni Munni PGE project in the West Pilbara, about 40km from Karratha.
The company reported high-grade results from Munni Munni including 5m @ 1.68g/t 2PGE + 0.14g/t Au, (1.13g/t Pd, 0.55g/t Pt) from 41m; 4m @ 2.44g/t 2PGE + 0.27g/t Au, (1.48g/t Pd, 0.96g/t Pt) from 34.5m; and 5m @ 2.35g/t 2PGE + 0.17g/t Au, (1.49g/t Pd 0.86g/t Pt) from 34.5m.
Munni Munni project
Munni Munni is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The Munni Munni Complex is one of Australia’s most significant Platinum Group Metal (PGM) occurrences in Australia.
Munni Munni has been the subject of several historical drilling programs, scoping studies, metallurgical testing programs and resource estimates.
The project is situated 20 kilometres from the Artemis Radio Hill processing facility. Artemis Resources Limited holds 70% interest while Platina holds a 30% interest in the Munni Munni project with Artemis Resources as the Operator.
Munni Munni’s historical exploration activities include drilling, metallurgical testing, and geophysics. During Artemis’ review of all the historical data at Munni Munni, including a VTEM survey flown by Platina in 2010, Artemis identified potential gold opportunities, both structurally hosted and as hydrothermal and/or detrital style.
A series of geophysical surveys were undertaken looking at sedimentary units that sit above and to the side of the Munni Munni Mafic Igneous Complex. These sediments were never focused on in the previous pursuit of platinum group elements where Reverse Circulation drilling was used to pre-collar diamond drilling targeting the deeper PGMs
Drilling at Munni Munni
The company had completed an 8-hole (18MMAD001-18MMAD008) diamond drilling program at Munni Munni in May 2018, but the results were not announced. The 2018 drilling was specifically targeted to confirm the precise position of the PGE horizon and did not provide any new information
ARV and PGM has now announced the completion of the Munni Munni Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling programme of 12 drill holes (20MMRC001 – 20MMRC012) for 1,928 metres.
Drilling at the project began in mid-June to test the depth extensions, extend mineralisation, and test historical assay grades. The RC drilling programme was designed to add further confirmation of the PGE horizon position around the northern nose of the >20km long Munni Munni mafic intrusive Complex.
The company said that the historical drilling had shown the zone presence virtually encircling the entire intrusive complex and was utilised to prepare a non-JORC 2012 compliant resource estimate.
ARV said that several RC holes were targeted at replicating the historical diamond drill intersections and provide comparative results with results from the Artemis 2018 diamond drilling. Other zones targeted were to simply help define the PGE horizon position.
The company said that holes 20MMRC009 & 010 were targeted on shallow VTEM anomalies at the base of the overlying Fortescue Group on the Munni Munni Complex.
The JV partners announced that the RC drill holes spread through the entire upper portion of the mineralisation, to a maximum depth of 200 metres. The samples were processed at ALS Global, Perth.
High-grade results
The company announced the results of diamond drilling (18MMAD001-18MMAD008) completed by Artemis in May 2018 as well as the RC drilling programme of 12 drill holes (20MMRC001 – 20MMRC012) for 1,928 metres completed in June 2020 within Munni Munni.
Significant intersections from diamond drilling include 6.5m @ 1.68g/t 2PGE + 0.14g/t Au, (1.13g/t Pd, 0.55g/t Pt) from 41m, 18MMAD001; 4m @ 2.44g/t 2PGE + 0.27g/t Au, (1.48g/t Pd, 0.96g/t Pt) from 34.5m, 18MMAD003; 5m @ 2.35g/t 2PGE + 0.17g/t Au, (1.49g/t Pd 0.86g/t Pt) from 34.5m, 18MMAD005; 5m @ 1.42g/t 2PGE + 0.11 g/t Au, (0.94g/t Pd, 0.48 g/t Pt) from 65.5m, 18MMAD007; 5m @ 1.36g/t 2PGE + 0.09 g/t Au, (0.96g/t Pd 0.44g/t Pt) from 28m, 18MMAD006; and 6m @ 1.65g/t 2PGE + 0.17g/t Au, (0.97g/t Pd, 0.68g/t Pt) from 82m, 18MMAC008.
Highlights from RC drilling includes 7m @ 1.43g/t 2PGE + 0.11g/t Au, (0.91g/t Pd, 0.52g/t Pt) from 122m, 20MMRC007; 5m @ 1.68g/t 2PGE + 0.14g/t Au, (1.08g/t Pd 0.6g/t Pt) from 19m, 20MMRC005; 5m @ 1.19g/t 2PGE + 0.16g/t Au, (0.74g/t Pd 0.45g/t Pt) from 70m, 20MMRC006; 6m @ 1.17g/t 2PGE + 0.13 g/t Au, (0.76 g/t Pd, 0.41 g/t Pt) from 144m, 20MMRC011; and 4m @ 1.07g/t 2PGE + 0.04 g/t Au, (0.7 g/t Pd, 0.37g/t Pt) from 194m, 20MMRC012 to EOH.
The JV partners noted that the RC drilling data shows slightly lower absolute results for the PGE, but occurs in the same relative stratigraphic position. ARV said that the very steep dip of the horizon lends itself to potentially improved mineability.
Updates and next steps
The company reported that its work has been to validate historical work, to allow a JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).
Artemis said that once an MRE is completed, a scoping study is planned to be completed. ARV said that based on a positive scoping study, metallurgical testwork can be undertaken to move the project towards Feasibility.
Management comments
Alastair Clayton, Executive Director commented: “We are delighted with these drill results that further confirm to us the potential of Munni Munni as a highly attractive platinum group metals project in Western Australia.”