Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) has begun a diamond drilling program at its Aileron Copper-Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in the West Arunta region of Western Australia.
The company says the 2,000m drilling program is being conducted to investigate several anomalies situated across the Worsley and Crean targets.
Drilling is also expected to investigate the ‘bullseye’ coincident magnetic and density anomaly located 5km northwest of the Luni ‘high-grade’ niobium-REE carbonatite discovery uncovered by WA1 Resources (ASX:WA1) near the Caird target.
Encounter reports the anomaly at the Crean target represents a regional scale magnetic anomaly with an offset gravity anomaly similar to the Prominent Hill iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposit.
Meanwhile, the anomaly at Worsley is described as a standout magnetic and coincident gravity anomaly with copper, gold, molybdenum, niobium and REE(up to 0.8% TREO) in prior, incomplete drillhole EAL0001.
The company notes drilling will also be co-funded by the Western Australian Government Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS). Additionally, a Falcon gravity survey is also being conducted in conjunction with drilling in order to further identify and refine drill targets at the project.
With drilling currently underway, Encounter Resources announces initial assays are expected to be received from June-July 2023.
Commenting on the start of drilling, Encounter Resources Managing Director Will Robinson says: “The recent high grade niobium-REE discovery by WA1 Resources at Luni is located adjacent to the southern boundary of Aileron. This exciting discovery confirms the West Arunta as a new and unexplored critical minerals province in Australia.
The Crean, Worsley and Caird targets will be the first of the large scale magnetic and gravity anomalies to be tested at the 100km wide Aileron project in the West Arunta. The targets have similar geophysical characteristics to the IOCG deposits in South Australia, such as the Prominent Hill, and the recently discovered niobium-REE carbonatites in the West Arunta.
“The Crean, Worsley and Caird targets will be the first of the large scale magnetic and gravity anomalies to be tested at the 100km wide Aileron project in the West Arunta”
First assay results from this initial drill program are expected from June-July 2023.”
Encounter Resources is an ASX-listed mineral exploration company with a focus on discovering major copper dominant deposits in Australia. The company controls a ‘large’ portfolio of wholly owned projects in Australia’s most exciting mineral provinces, which are prospective for copper, REEs and lithium.
The company’s wholly owned Aileron Project is located in the West Arunta region of Western Australia and represents a ‘commanding’ land position in an emerging IOCG-REE region which is host to several niobium-REE carbonatite discoveries.
Other wholly owned assets held by Encounter include the Lamil Copper-Gold and Irwin REE projects in Western Australia, as well as the Sandover Copper, and the Junction and Sitch Lithium projects in the Northern Territory.
Encounter also has numerous ‘large-scale’ copper projects being advanced in partnership and funded through farm-in agreements with mining giants, such as BHP (ASX:BHP), IGO (ASX:IGO), and South32 (ASX:S32).
Images: Encounter Resources Ltd
