eMetals Limited (ASX: EMT) has announced a highly encouraging update from the priority geochemical sampling program at its wholly owned Nardoo Rare Metals Project in the Gascoyne Region of Western Australia.
The company reported that highly anomalous tungsten was identified at the newly discovered Miru Prospect over 2 km in strike length with a peak WO3 stream sample value of 1090 ppm (0.11%).
EMT said that highly anomalous rare earth neodymium was identified at the newly discovered Cairn Hill prospect with a peak Nd2O3 soil sample value of 463ppm (0.046%).
eMetals said that an 8 square kilometre area of La-Nb-Li-W anomalism was defined around a known pegmatite occurrence at Beryl Well and new areas of REE enrichments were defined in over 4 square kilometers of catchments. The company reported that drilling is planned to commence within the current quarter.
Nardoo project
The Nardoo project is located within the Gascoyne Province of Western Australia which is in a metamorphosed sedimentary and granite terrain that has been extensively intruded by pegmatites which host tantalum-lithium-niobium mineralization.
The Project covers the historical Nardoo Well tungsten skarn horizon and the Nardoo Hill and Morrissey Hill pegmatite occurrences which have reported tantalite and lithium mineralisation and newly defined rare earth anomalies.
eMetals has progressed exploration of the Project after recognising the high prospectivity of the area for tungsten, lithium-tantalum-niobium, and rare earth enriched pegmatites.
Regional geochemical and mapping program
The company had undertaken a regional geochemical and mapping program at Nardoo project in May 2020. The surface geochemical program followed up on initial highly anomalous niobium, tantalum and tungsten anomalies uncovered in April 2020.
Field activities included stream sediment sampling, soil sampling, and rock chip sampling. A total of 764, -115 mesh stream sediment samples and 148 rock chip samples were also collected across the tenements during the stream sampling and soil sampling program.
The company has now announced the assay results of the geochemical program.
New significant anomalies identified
The company said that the geochemical sampling program has successfully identified new, significant anomalies additional to the existing tungsten skarn horizons at Nardoo Hill and lithium-tantalum-niobium pegmatites at Beryl Well.
These anomalous areas include Miru Prospect, Boomerang Prospect, Beryl Well Prospect, Cairn Hill, and Nardoo East.
Miru Prospect
The Miru Prospect is located along a NW trending structural zone defined by deformed quartz veining within muscovite schists of the Mount James Subgroup.
The company announced that the stream sediment sampling in the north of E09/2109 has defined a new tungsten anomaly (>12ppm WO3) with a peak of 0.11% WO3 at the Miru prospect.
EMT said that the anomaly requires follow-up sampling to identify the source of the tungsten within the area and find the outcropping mineralization that has produced such a strong anomaly.
Boomerang Prospect
eMetals reported that the stream sediment samples collected at the Boomerang Prospect have defined a 2km long, northwest trending tungsten anomaly with a peak geochemical result of 130ppm WO3.
The company said that the anomaly is located along a zone of calc-silicate metasediments and amphibolite.
Amphibolite in the Nardoo Hill area is known to host tungsten skarn mineralization and copper anomalism of up to 0.8% Cu. The company said that the area requires follow-up sampling to identify the source of the tungsten anomalies and map the geology.
Beryl Well Prospect
The company announced that the stream sampling within the extension of the Beryl Well pegmatite swarm has defined an 8km2 area of significant lithium, tantalum and niobium anomalous geochemistry.
EMT said that the mapping by its geologists has located multiple pegmatites and veins within granite. The company said that the rock chip sampling of these pegmatites returned assay results of up to 81.8 ppm Ta2O5, and 244.5 ppm Nb2O5.
The company also reported new areas of REE enrichments defined over 4km2 of catchments.
Cairn Hill
EMT said that stream sediment sampling has defined in a 4km long light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment at Cairn Hill.
The company reported that the individual stream sediment samples returned TREO+Y results of up to 0.27%, which include up to 463ppm neodymium oxide (Nd2O5), focused on an area of ~600m x ~600m.
eMetals said that several MINEDEX tungsten occurrences lie outside of this anomaly and are yet to be ground-truthed or followed up.
Nardoo East
EMT said that at the Nardoo East prospect, stream sediment sampling returned highly anomalous niobium (Nb) results up to 341ppm.
Results include tungsten up to 95ppm WO3, which confirms the existing tungsten in the stream sediment assays. The company said that this anomaly occurs on the western end of the soil sampling grid and this anomalism continues up to 6km to the north-west within schists and amphibolite skarn.
eMetals considers that the previous Nb and REE anomalies in the stream sediment samples may be sourced from these thin pegmatites.
Results validate acquisition of E09/2156
The company announced that the current results have validated the acquisition of E09/2156, securing a highly prospective series of fractionated LCT and NYF-REE pegmatites.
eMetals Limited said that it has successfully followed up on understandings of the REE, tungsten and lithium prospectivity of the Nardoo Rare Metals Project generated from the 2019-2020 sampling programs.
The company noted that the Nardoo Rare Metals Project has significant potential for tungsten, with stream sediment sampling having identified two new sizeable areas of tungsten anomalies, including extraordinarily enriched tungsten of 0.11% WO3 in stream sediments at the Miru Prospect.
EMT said that further areas require sampling and follow-up exploration, including the contacts of the Nardoo Granite, where historical stream and rock chip sampling is yet to be followed up.
Next steps
The Company reported that it is now working on moving forward with heritage clearance surveys to drill the prospective fractionated tantalite pegmatite at Beryl Well and the Nardoo Hill tungsten skarns.
EMT said that the expanded stream sediment sampling coverage and follow-up of the anomalous results is also currently being planned.
The company said that the field work planned includes confirmation sampling of pegmatite outcrops, mapping, surface geochemistry and planning of drilling.
Management comments
eMetals Director Mathew Walker said: “The results are considered highly encouraging and present multiple drill targets for the company to follow up as soon as practically possible.
Although the Miru Prospect appears the standout target with over 2 kilometers of highly anomalous strike length, inclusive of extraordinarily enriched tungsten values of up to 0.11% WO3 in stream sediments, the anomalous rare earth neodymium identified at the newly discovered Cairn Hill prospect is also of particular interest.”