Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) is gearing up for what the junior explorer describes as three potential “company making” drill programs aimed at testing prospective copper, gold and niobium targets in Western Australia.
These programs will investigate the interpreted Winu-style Oval and Oval South intrusive related copper-gold targets at the Yerrida North Project, the Sumo niobium target, six Juggernaut copper-gold targets, as well as potential additional targets with the Yerrida North Project.
During the December 2024 quarter, Great Western completed the first phase of drilling at the Oval target, with two diamond holes drilled ranging in depth from 600 to 800m.
Results from these holes are expected to be received in February.
Down-hole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveying of the two holes also began in the final quarter of 2024, but was suspended due to localised heavy rainfall. The program is now expected to be completed in January.
Great Western, which has a market capitalisation of $13.53 million, believes that both the large Oval and Oval South copper-gold targets are highly prospective.
This is due to evidence of coincident geophysical anomalism, the targets’ location on a major crustal mantle tapping fault that is intersected by a basin defining growth fault (that focused mineralised fluids), and favourable stratigraphy of the Yerrida Basin to host mineralisation.
The DHEM and assay results will be used to help plan the next phase of drilling.
Meanwhile, access approvals to drill at Sumo are well advanced, with drilling anticipated to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Great Western says the Sumo niobium target is a large, robust and coherent 2km long by 1km wide lag niobium soil anomaly.
The presence of coincident pathfinder geochemistry supports the potential for a niobium-mineralised system, according to Great Western.
Also within the Yerrida North Project, the Juggernaut volcanic hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) copper-gold mineralised system sits 70km southeast of Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) DeGrussa and Monty copper-gold deposits.
The six targets were identified through geological mapping, surface sampling, modelling and interpretation.
The VHMS-style of mineralisation often forms in clusters of deposits, and Great Western says it interprets that the six targets represent this mineralisation characteristic.
The company began the access approvals process in the December quarter. Drilling of these targets is also scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Great Western is also in the process of divesting its non-core assets and late last year struck an all-scrip deal to sell its Yandal West Gold Project to Albion Resources (ASX:ALB).
The company expects the deal to be completed before the end of January. Albion received shareholder approval for the acquisition early this week.
Great Western says its planned drilling programs are fully funded after it raised $6 million in two placements undertaken in August and October 2024.
The company is a copper-gold and base metals explorer with a large landholding in mineral-rich mining regions in Western Australia.
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
Images: Great Western
