Aruma Resources has kicked off its hunt for rare earths at its Saltwater project in Western Australia’s emerging Pilbara province.
The company’s fieldwork will consist of detailed mapping and extensive surface sampling through an 80km strike length of what it has identified as a prospective horizon, with work to start at a 15km-long priority radiometric target.
Previous grab samples at the project by explorer U3O8 yielded results of up to 11 per cent rare earths, giving Aruma confidence that its target along strike could be the real deal.
Saltwater covers 450 square kilometres of ground about 120km south-west of the Pilbara town of Newman, adjacent to Dreadnought Resources’ Bresnahan rare earths project. Dreadnaught says Bresnahan is prospective for unconformity-related heavy rare earths deposits similar to Browns Range in the Kimberley and mesothermal-lode gold similar to the Paulsen mine’s gold-silver-antimony deposits.
Recent sampling by Dreadnaught gave results up to 1.33 per cent total rare earths oxide (TREO), which its said was proof of concept for a significant site containing unconformity-related rare earths.
Aruma will use results from its current program to design a maiden drilling program. It notes that aside from the rich U3O8 samples, other rare earths occurrences are recorded from drill holes and surface samples.
The company will also be keeping its eyes open for signs of gold – its initial target at Saltwater – and other mineralisation to ensure it is adopting a multi-commodity sampling program.
Aruma Resources managing director Glenn Grayson said: "We are excited by the REE potential of the Saltwater Project, which we are of the view represents a significant under explored REE opportunity in what is as an emerging REE province. We believe that our ground holding is amongst the most prospective REE tenure in the region.”
Management believes there are prospective rare earths horizons below the Bresnahan–Wyloo unconformity, where Saltwater has its 80km of strike. Aruma says the unconformity model has been used successfully in the exploration for hard-rock rare earths deposits in WA, notably by Northern Minerals at its Browns Range project.
The company will initially focus its attention at Saltwater on the horizons immediately below the major unconformity using systematic surface mapping and sampling. It plans to use magnetic and radiometric geophysical survey data.
Follow-up drilling and further geophysics are also planned, based upon results. Assay results from the surface sampling are anticipated in July.
Aruma believes it has first-mover advantage and with U308’s results as a foundation, it is hard to argue otherwise. If Dreadnaught believes the site is a new rare earths province, the company may have some exciting results to come.
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