Impact Minerals (ASX:IPT) has identified 20 moderate to strong conductors in airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data flown over parts of its 100% owned Arkun Project in the emerging mineral province of southwest Western Australia.
The airborne EM survey was completed over 7 priority areas, covering only about 15% of the Arkun project, by XCalibur Multiphysics using the HELITEM system at a line spacing of 400 metres.
The 20 conductors were identified using a combination of interpretation of individual lines of EM data by consultants Resource Potentials and by reprocessing of the survey data by Intrepid Geophysics using their proprietary 2.5D AEM inversion algorithm.
The 2.5D inversion process provides conductivity models and can image steeply dipping, deep, and near-surface targets.
Follow-up field checking and rock chip sampling will begin in early October, together with infill and new soil geochemistry surveys. Impact says access is dependent on the current harvest season.
The aim is to define drill targets for a maiden drill programme at Arkun in Q1 2024. The follow-up work will also include the areas identified for REE mineralisation and lithium pegmatites.
The Arkun survey, carried out by XCalibur Multiphysics, consisted of 921.4 line kilometres at 400m line spacing over seven priority areas. Data were acquired using a HELITEM2 electromagnetic system supplemented by a high-sensitivity caesium magnetometer.
The HELITEM2 system comprises a 40-metre-long cable attached between the helicopter and the transmitter loop, which, when in flight, is about 35 m below the helicopter.
The receiver platform and the receiver coil are located at the centre of the 35m diameter transmitter loop. The real-time navigation GPS antenna is on the tail boom of the helicopter. The barometric altimeter, radar altimeter, laser altimeter and data recorder are all installed in the helicopter.
GPS antennae are attached to the transmitter loop to give positional information and transmitter orientation. An IMU is mounted on the front of the transmitter loop to measure receiver pitch, roll and yaw.
Managing Director Dr Mike Jones says these new conductors look ‘very promising’ and significantly increase the potential for the discovery of massive nickel-copper-PGM sulphides.
“What’s particularly exciting is that some conductors have coincident soil geochemistry anomalies.
However, with many of them still yet to be soil sampled, we are confident of generating more targets for follow-up work, which will include drilling.
“However, with many of them still yet to be soil sampled, we are confident of generating more targets for follow-up work, which will include drilling“
With the recent REE soil anomalies identified throughout the project area, including the standout Horseshoe prospect, Arkun continues to emerge as a major project for a wide range of essential battery and strategic minerals.”
Two of the survey areas contain numerous EM conductors that have broadly coincident strong nickel-copper-PGM soil geochemistry anomalies – these include 5 AEM anomalies at the Three Eagles prospect and 6 AEM anomalies at the Starfish complex.
In addition, the EM conductors are commonly coincident either with magnetically quiet areas and/or gravity-highs in regional geophysical data, which together may represent mafic and ultramafic intrusions that are potential hosts for nickel-copper-PGM mineralisation.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Impact Minerals
