Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) reports it has been awarded a co-funded Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) drilling grant of up to $220,000 for the Aileron Copper-REE Project, in Western Australia.
The company says a ‘detailed’ 8,000 line km airborne magnetic-radiometric survey is in progress to refine targets for drilling in 2023, and only 2 exploration drillholes have been reported to date in this 130km long geological belt in the West Arunta region, with both holes drilled around 20km apart.
Encounter reports hole EAL001 at Aileron contained zones of anomalism in copper (up to 0.1% Cu), niobium (up to 773ppm Nb) and highly elevated rare earth elements (REEs) (up to 0.8% TREO), and PARC003 completed by WA1 Resources (ASX:WA1) intersected a niobium-REE mineralised carbonatite system located less than 1km from Encounter’s boundary.
Encounter Resources Managing Director Will Robinson said the EIS system is designed to help explorers drill and discover new mineral provinces in Western Australia.
“We are delighted to receive an EIS grant to complete diamond drilling at Aileron in 2023″
“We are delighted to receive an EIS grant to complete diamond drilling at Aileron in 2023. The limited exploration in this part of the West Arunta has shown that the region is highly prospective for the formation of IOCG and carbonatite-hosted REE deposits under shallow cover.
The first drillholes completed by WA1 and Encounter both contain highly anomalous REE and niobium as well as IOCG pathfinders. Either both companies have been incredibly fortunate, or this belt has the early hallmarks of a highly mineralised new province.”
Encounter reports magmatic hydrothermal minerals are active in the region, which it considers ‘encouraging’ for the formation of IOCG and carbonatite-hosted REE deposits, states it controls a ‘commanding’ position in the West Arunta region with an over 100km east-west tenement holding contained numerous drill targets with limited or no prior exploration.
Encounter Resources is an ASX-listed mineral exploration company focused on discovering major copper dominant deposits in Australia.
Its assets include the Lamil Copper-Gold Project, the Yeneena Copper-Cobalt Project, and the Aileron Copper-REE Project in Western Australia, and the Sandover Copper-Lithium Project, the Elliot Copper Project, the Brunchilly Project, the Dunmarra Maryfield Broadmere, and the Jessica and Carrara Copper-Zinc Project in the Northern Territory.
Images: Encounter Resources Ltd
