Intra Energy Corporation (ASX:IEC) reports it has identified ‘high-quality’ nickel and platinum group element (PGE) targets at the Yalgarra Project, located in Western Australia.
The company says progress has been made following the completion of an airborne electromagnetic (EM) survey in July and a soil geochemical program in October.
Results from the first batch of July soils have been returned and Intra Energy notes the results are consistent with the results competitors have been reporting from adjacent mining licences, which boosts support for increased exploration activity going into 2023.
Intra Energy Corporation Managing Director Benjamin Dunn said: “We are encouraged by these early results and the exploration is trending in the right direction to identify multiple high priority targets for closer inspection in 2023.
Our partners at Century Minerals, Ed Baltis and Steve Hart, have done a magnificent job in identifying this area and then skillfully executing the early stage exploration.
It will take some time to effectively explore the licence, due to its large size and being split into a Northern Block and Southern Block. The soil work in particular has been physically demanding, but it is exciting to work an area that has not previously been systematically explored.
“The soil work in particular has been physically demanding, but it is exciting to work an area that has not previously been systematically explored”
We are particularly excited about the elevated copper readings in the west of the Northern Block and pleasantly surprised by the unexpected lithium hits in the northeast of the Northern Block.
Both areas will be the focus of follow-up work in early 2023.”
Intra Energy reports Century conducted a ‘comprehensive’ program of widely spaced soil sampling over a large part of the licence area comprising around 400km-square.
Century identified the area as potentially hosting mafic and ultramafic rocks similar to Chalice Mining’s (ASX:CHN) Julimar Project as well as yonder mafic intrusives potentially prospective for chonolith-style nickel mineralisation.
Field reconnaissance mapping whilst collecting soils and the airborne AEM survey have since validated the initial rationale used in identifying and exploring the ground.
The company says the initial program of around 3,000 soil geochemistry samples commenced in late July with the first 1,234 samples collected and sent for analysis along with 15 rock chip samples.
Subsequent wet weather prevented access and slowed the on-ground work, with work recommencing in September and completed in October with a further 1,718 soil samples and 62 rock chip samples sent to Intertek Perth for analysis.
Intra Energy says sample lines were planned over areas where mafic and ultramafic rocks had been mapped or interpreted from the magnetic data.
It reports the lines varied in spacing to test isolated targets, but most lines were spaced at 400m to 800m over the areas of most interest, and sample spacing along the lines was 100m which is consistent with the objective of defining the geochemical footprint of a new large-scale mineral system.
The Rock Factor soils are a product of the elements magnesium, nickel and chromium which are typically enriched in the mafic and ultramafic host rocks, and these can map the distribution of the favourable rocks.
However the company says the difference in the nature of the regolith will have a ‘major’ effect on the distribution of Rock Factor elements as well and will need to be considered as part of the follow-up to help us understand the effectiveness of the soils program and the significance of any individual mineralisation factor result.
Intra Energy says ‘encouraging’ Mineralisation Factor (Cu ± Pt ± Pd) metal anomalies have been returned from the Yallalong South, Bert Well and Hillside targets in the Northern Block.
Mineralisation Factor is most notably strong in the western area of the Northern Block, coincident with elevated Rock Factor values which define a large mafic and ultramafic rock domain the company is now identifying as Yallalong South.
At Yallalong South, significant Mineralisation Factor metal anomalism has been defined on 2 consecutive 800m spaced soil lines parallel to the trend of mafic and ultramafic intrusions defined from mapping and interpretation of the aeromagnetic data.
In addition, an unexplained conductor has been defined in the south sector of the Yallalong South target area with much more subdued Rock Factor soils results coincident with a change in the surface regolith.
The company states Yallalong South represents a priority target for follow-up exploration including moving loop EM or IP geophysics, infill soils or auger drilling or a combination of all, with the intention of identifying ‘high priority’ targets for drill testing in early 2023.
Anomalous Mineralisation Factor soils were recorded in the Bert Well area above strongly magnetic stratigraphy in the southern end of the Northern Block.
The Rock Factor soils were subdued, possibly upgrading the significance of the Mineralisation Factor anomalism in this area, possibly creating a secondary dispersion anomalism in transported regolith due to the Mineralisation Factor comprising of chalcophile elements.
Rock Factor elements tend to be more immobile and would be subdued by a transported overburden which is consistent with the observed regolith during soil sampling.
The company further reports patchy locally anomalous Mineralisation Factor soils were recorded in the Hillside area in the northeast of the Northern Block, and the Rock Factor response here is ‘consistently strong’ defining a large mafic to ultramafic rock domain Intra Energy is now identifying as the Hillside target area.
The Mineralisation Factor anomalism seems to be driven by elevated copper values along the margins of magnetic intrusive units, and the ‘patchy’ nature of the Mineralisation Factor anomalism in this area is likely due to the presence of thin shallow skeletal soils keeping secondary dispersion confined above any basement mineralisation.
Intra Energy reports unexpectedly, a total of 12 samples from the July batch of soil samples sent to Intertek returned weakly anomalous plus 20ppm lithium assays with a peak lithium assay of 28.7ppm Li.
Resamples from 11 of these sample sites have been sent for further analysis at Labwest Laboratories using their Ultrafine Method.
Most interesting to the company was the occurrence of 8 of these elevated lithium values in soils from the Hillside target area, and these anomalous lithium assays are supported by stronger caesium and rubidium assays possibly indicative of an LCT pegmatite source.
Mapping in this area identified sub-cropping pegmatite and some pegmatite rock float has been sent for assaying at Intertek Laboratory.
Although the main goal at Yalgarra has been to find a magmatic sulphide copper-nickel-PGE deposit, these results encourage the company to also pursue further exploration in the area for lithium-bearing pegmatites.
While Intra Energy is waiting on soil sampling results from the Southern Yalgarra Block that have recently been collected, the exploration focus will be over the ‘strong’ targets identified in the Northern Block and further targets immediately identified by the soil geochemistry results as they become available for the Southern Block.
The company, along with Century are examining the most efficient path towards drilling the ‘high priority’ targets which may include further infill soil sampling, hand augering and moving EM loop or IP electrical surveys to further target identification and confirm drill ready status.
It expects to commence this further exploration in February 2023 with the intention to focus on ‘high priority’ drill targets for testing in the second half of 2023.
Intra Energy Corporation is an environmentally responsible, diversified mining and energy group operating 2 subsidiary companies including Tancoal Energy and Intrafrican Resources.
The company operates projects across Mozambique, Tanzania, and Australia.
Images: Intra Energy Corporation Ltd
