Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) has defined a ‘large and coherent’ niobium lag soil anomaly, dubbed the Sumo target, in Western Australia.
Sumo measures 2km long by 1km wide, and sits within the Yerrida North Project which lies 70km south-east of Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) DeGrussa Copper-Gold Project.
Great Western Exploration, which has a market capitalisation of $12.61 million, engaged an external geochemistry consultant to assist in the interpretation of the lag soil sampling database and the nature of the defined niobium anomalism.
This work found that the Sumo anomaly is coincident with arsenic, silver, bismuth, chromium, molybdenum, antimony, tin, thorium, uranium, tungsten, and zirconium. These elements are commonly associated with carbonatite niobium deposits.
On the geochemistry consultant’s recommendation, a heavy mineral concentrate program was completed across the anomaly. This process aims to determine the niobium mineralisation style and define the forward exploration program at the target.
It is expected that results from this program will be returned next month.
Great Western anticipates more prospective targets will be defined as it continues to assess the dataset, undertake fieldwork, and complete further geological interpretation.
Concurrently, the company expects to begin drilling at its Oval copper–gold target later this month.
On 31 July 2024, Great Western was finalising plans for the upcoming diamond drilling program at Oval and Oval South. Drilling will initially comprise four holes for 600m to 800m each.
Both targets share multiple coincident geological and geophysical features to the giant Winy and Haverion intrusive-related copper-gold deposits.
Oval and Oval South both lie within the Yerrida North Project, adjacent to the DeGrussa and Monty copper-gold volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits. Both targets also have an intersection of the Ida Fault by a basin defining growth structure and are positioned within an east-west intrusive corridor.
Great Western Exploration is a mineral explorer focused on its large land positions in prolific regions of Western Australia.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Great Western Exploration
