WA1 Resources (ASX:WA1) has extended its mineralised footprint following new ‘high-grade’ reverse circulation (RC) niobium intersections at its West Arunta Project in Western Australia.
The results, generated from the company’s 2023 drilling program, have extended the ‘high-grade’ niobium footprint up to 400m in multiple directions from previously reported results, with mineralisation remaining open in all directions.
WA1 reports the ‘high-grade’ enriched layer remains laterally unconstrained.
Key results include hole LURC23-045 with 41m @ 2.4% Nb2O5 from 43m; hole LURC23-021 with 18m @ 2.2% Nb2O5 from 90m; hole LURC23-020 with 13m @ 1.4% Nb2O5 from 34m; and hole LURC23-019 with 24m @ 1.1% Nb2O5 from 72m.
The company notes these holes were completed at the Luni carbonatite during the June quarter, with drilling completed this year approaching 10,000m. WA1 says 2 drill rigs are continuing to define the extent of this ‘globally significant’ discovery, with drilling comprising both RC and diamond drilling.
The company also notes diamond drilling continues to be directed toward the collection of data to support resource estimation and samples for a phase one metallurgical testwork before moving to test conceptual exploration targets at the project.
With drilling still ongoing, WA1 Resources announces further mineralogical studies are being undertaken to continue to develop its understanding of the mineralisation to assist with the finalisation of planning for early metallurgical testwork.
The company has also announced its plans to undertake follow-up drilling in H2 2023 within the Pachpadra prospect area, which contains the P2 mineralised carbonatite discovery, along with initial reconnaissance drilling at other regional exploration targets.
Speaking on the results, WA1 Managing Director Paul Savich says: “Today’s results are further wide-spaced step-out drillholes which extend high-grade niobium mineralisation at Luni by a further 400 metres in multiple directions with new significant intersections. Along with the promising early-stage mineralogical assessment released previously (refer to ASX announcement dated 5 June 2023), this drilling continues to establish the outstanding potential and global quality of this critical metal discovery.
“…this drilling continues to establish the outstanding potential and global quality of this critical metal discovery.”
We have remained disciplined in achieving our corporate objective of crystallising our understanding of Luni to enable the commencement of development and baseline study activities that may assist in condensing the project development timeframe. In parallel, we will complete initial step-out drilling at the P2 carbonatite discovery, along with first-pass reconnaissance drilling at a number of our regional targets in the second half of the year.”
WA1 Resources is an ASX-listed company based in Perth, Western Australia, that is focused on discovering tier-one deposits in Western Australia’s underexplored regions.
The company’s West Arunta Project is located about 700km west-northwest of the city of Alice Springs on the Western Australia and Northern Territory border. WA1 Resources had $10.4 million cash and cash equivalents at hand on 31 March 2023, as stated in its latest quarterly report.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: WA1 Resources Ltd
