PVW Resources Ltd (ASX:PVW) has confirmed the potential for the Tanami Heavy Rare Earth and Gold Project in Western Australia to host significant rare earth mineralisation during its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling program.
The company encountered both shallow and deeper mineralisation at its Castella and Watts Rise prospects in the recently completed phase one RC program
To date, PVW has completed 132 holes drilled across 10,727 metres while regional aircore drilling is continuing with 91 holes completed so far totalling 2,817 metres.
Notably, rare earth assays have been received from 35 holes of the 132 completed RC holes.
Initial assay results from Castella include:
- 2 metres at 6,496 ppm total rare earth oxide (TREO) from 3 metres, including 1-metre at 9,530 ppm TREO from 3 metres;
- 4 metres at 3,803 ppm TREO from 2 metres, including 2 metres at 5,202 ppm TREO from 4 metres; and
- 1-metre at 6,191 ppm TREO from 12 metres.
In addition, highly elevated pXRF readings from Castella awaiting assay results include:
- 1-metre at 17,753 ppm yttrium from 2 metres; and
- 1-metre at 3,918 ppm yttrium from 21 metres.
At Watts Rise, RC drilling has also returned elevated yttrium pXRF readings within a consistently anomalous zone of yttrium and strontium extending over 380 metres with assays pending.
Highly elevated pXRF readings within the anomalous zone at Watts Rise include:
- 1-metre at 20,541 ppm yttrium from 63 metres; and
- .1-metre at 5,182 ppm yttrium from 35 metres.
What’s more, regional aircore drilling is continuing to test prospective stratigraphy and structures in an area over 4.2-kilometre in strike along the Watts Rise trend.
“Accelerate exploration”
PVW executive director George Bauk said: “These results confirm the presence of heavy REE mineralisation both at depth and near-surface across the Tanami REE Project.
“Assay results for the first 35 holes at Castella are encouraging and, while the grade and thickness of the intercepts does not yet indicate that we have an orebody, they do show that we are exploring in the right area with excellent potential to vector into thicker and higher grade areas.
“We are also extremely encouraged by the continuity of the extensive pXRF yttrium anomaly seen at Watts Rise.
“The continuity of this mineralised envelope over 380 metres of strike which remains open down-dip is very encouraging.
“The success of the drill program to date has prompted us to accelerate exploration with a detailed ground gravity survey commencing later this month to assist in identifying the mineralisation controls at depth.
“Meanwhile, the regional aircore drilling continues to reveal buried rare earth anomalism and pathfinder anomalism along the 18-kilometre corridor and at the two priority targets areas of Castella and Watts Rise."
Regional aircore drilling
Following the anomalous pXRF geochemistry intersected in RC drilling at Watts Rise, the company’s exploration team has prioritised evaluation of the areas immediately east and west of Watts Rise with aircore drilling.
There is a break in yttrium anomalism intersected in the east of the RC drill coverage, which either represents a structural offset of the prospective stratigraphy or a change in the stratigraphy.
The aircore rig was utilised to test along the buried prospective interpreted east-west structure for the location of the unconformity to the east, or for the major structures that potentially offset the unconformity.
The wide-spaced (640-metre spaced drill lines) aircore drilling has already yielded very encouraging yttrium-phosphorous-strontium anomalism around 3.4 kilometres northwest from Watts Rise and also 800 metres east of Watts Rise within unconformity and structural targets.
Key next steps at Tanami.
“Confidence in scale and potential”
PVW’s RC results returned to date further validate the regional REE target and the focus of its ongoing exploration in the Tanami for REEs.
Notably, anomalous results have been returned at all prospects tested during the current drilling program associated with the Pargee Sandstone/Killi Killi Formation unconformity.
Bauk adds: “The presence of a significant Heavy Rare Earths component in the assay results so far – including dysprosium and terbium – confirms the prospectivity of the Pargee Sandstone-hosted unconformity style targets and gives us great confidence in the scale and potential of the Tanami Heavy REE Project.
“Importantly, elevated levels of neodymium and praseodymium have also been returned for the breccia-style targets at Castella.
“The breccias are structurally controlled and occur immediately below the unconformity and at depth within the Killi Killi Formation.
“The confirmation that both target styles host mineralisation is an important development and developing a broader understanding of the relationship between the two styles is key to unlocking the exploration potential of this region.
“A combination of rock chip sampling, geological mapping, soil sampling and ground radiometrics were utilised in 2021 to define these targets and this maiden drilling campaign is already showing the benefits of our significant early exploration efforts in the Tanami.
“Surface sampling programs were successfully conducted at the Tanami Project in August 2021, the results and interpretations of which were announced on October 13, 2021, and on January 7, 2022."
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