Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) reports it will move forward with the commencement of a large airborne magnetic-radiometric survey at its 100% owned Aileron Copper-Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in Western Australia.
The mineral exploration company reports a 8,000 line kilometre, 100m spaced survey is scheduled to commence next week and will cover a 50km strike area in order to refine targets for upcoming drilling in 2023.
The survey is expected to be completed by November this year.
It is also reported that results from the first diamond drillhole completed at the project (EAL001) contains grades of up to 0.1% copper (Cu), 48ppb gold (Au), 155ppm molybdenum (Mo), 773ppm niobium (Nb) and highly elevated REE mineralisation up to 0.8% total rare earth oxide (TREO).
This drillhole was only partially completed to a depth of 158m in October 2020 due to a mechanical failure, however demonstrates that brecciation and alteration correlates with increased REE anomalism within a distinctive IOCG geochemical signature.
Commenting on the recent activities at the project, Encounter Resources Managing Director, Will Robinson said: “This detailed magnetic-radiometric survey is important in refining our 2023 drilling plans and to define potential new carbonatite and IOCG targets at Aileron.
Our only drillhole at Aileron intersected hematite-chlorite altered zones within a brecciated granite that have a distinctive IOCG signature in a suite of elements including copper, gold, molybdenum, niobium and highly elevated rare earth elements. Follow-up reconnaissance rock chip sampling also returned 0.5% TREO from a ferruginous quartz vein in an altered quartzite 7km to the southwest of EAL001.
“This detailed magnetic-radiometric survey is important in refining our 2023 drilling plans and to define potential new carbonatite and IOCG targets at Aileron”
The confirmation of a niobium-REE carbonatite by our neighbour WA1 Resources is an important development for this highly prospective mineral belt. We believe that the West Arunta is on the verge of becoming the next major copper and rare earths exploration focus in WA.”
The company also notes that the first drillhole completed by Western Australian based minerals company WA1 Resources (ASX:WA1) at its neighbouring P2 geophysical target has uncovered a niobium-REE mineralised system located 1km from the Aileron project boundary.
The presence of this newly discovered mineralised system provides further strong support that an alkaline magmatic hydrothermal system has been active in this region of exploration.
Alkaline systems are known to play an important role in the formation of both IOCG and carbonatite-hosted REE deposits.
Encounter Resources is one of Australia’s leading mineral exploration companies, with a primary focus on discovering major copper dominant deposits in Australia. The company’s Aileron project is located about 600km west of the city of Alice Springs in WA’s West Arunta region and is prospective for IOCG style copper-gold-REE mineralisation. The project is currently wholly owned by Encounter Resources.
With the magnetic-radiometric scheduled to commence next week, Encounter Resources announces its upcoming drilling program remains on target for commencement in 2023.
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