Aruma Resources (ASX:AAJ) aims to collect more than 1,400 soil samples from in excess of 12 “high-value” gold targets at the Saltwater Project in Western Australia in its latest round of soil sampling.
This is considered the most extensive program to date at Saltwater, as it aims to infill initial priority target areas from the previous phase of soil sampling. During the previous program, the company says it identified “promising” gold targets within the Terceira Prospect.
Aruma says the program will also be targeting the Saltwater Pool area, where prospecting has revealed several gold nuggets under shallow cover in creek gravels, including a 40 gram nugget alongside many smaller nuggets.
Managing Director Glenn Grayson says the company aims to use the results to help define near-term drilling targets.
“Data from our recently completed hyperspectral machine learning study has generated targets that will be tested, with over 1,400 soil samples in the current sampling program,” he says.
“We are excited to further define the gold prospectivity at the Terceira and Saltwater Pool prospects, and the current soil sampling program will be crucial in helping to better define these targets.
“We also view the discovery of the substantial gold specimen at Saltwater Pool as a further indication of the project’s potential to host a mineral deposit.”
Once assays have been received, which is expected within four weeks of completion of the program, Aruma plans to conduct additional exploration activities at Saltwater. The company will further assess the abundance of gold within the area where the nuggets were uncovered, and across the wider project area.
Aruma also recently completed a hyperspectral study over Saltwater, which used advanced machine learning techniques to pinpoint mineral-rich zones within the project area. The study focused on rare earths, uranium, manganese, and cobalt.
The data from this study has provided Aruma with “high-confidence” target areas, highlighting the project’s potential to host rare earths and uranium.
With assays from the soil sampling in parallel with the hyperspectral study data, Aruma aims to refine its exploration strategy and prioritise targets for upcoming drilling programs.
Aruma Resources is a junior explorer focused on the discovery and development of its portfolio of projects in gold, copper and uranium across Australia.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Aruma Resources
