Taiton Resources Ltd (ASX:T88) has identified a 2.5-kilometre molybdenum target at its Highway Project in the Gawler Craton of South Australia.
This target was identified at the project’s Merino prospect via an UltraFine soil survey completed mid-year.
The survey consisted of 1,122 samples covering an area of about 4 by 4.5 kilometres on 100 by 100-metre and 200 by 200-metre grid spacing, aiming to identify areas with geochemical anomalism. All sample results are now returned.
Due to the potential scale of the system, these results will assist in focusing future drill programs on the most prospective areas.
The results provide two important pieces of information — the confirmation that the soils are responding to the UltraFine soil sampling process, and the clearly identifying regions of molybdenum anomalism.
Soil results have also identified a region of base-metal mineralisation that complements a fertile mineral system.
Taiton executive director Noel Ong said, “The UltraFine soil results have given us important information that supports the fertility of the Merino prospect. The anomalous molybdenum results to the north of our completed drilling program have helped vector our exploration work.
“The northern region is anomalous in other elements as well which indicates a mineralising event that is consistent with our exploration strategy. The northern molybdenum anomaly is measured with a magnitude of 20 to 40 times the background which gives us confidence.
"There is a region measuring 500 metres x almost 1 kilometre that is of great interest for our upcoming drilling program."
The results
The soil sampling program was successful in identifying a broad footprint of molybdenum anomalism encapsulating cores with a higher tenor molybdenum, particularly in the northern area where a coherent molybdenum anomaly of an area approximately measuring 600 by 400 metres was defined.
Coincident with molybdenum anomalism are anomalous pathfinder elements including base and precious metals and prospective hydrothermal alteration signatures including phyllic, propylitic and potassic alteration, identified from Induced Polarisation (IP) and radiometric data and rock samples collected in the field.
Taiton believes the geochemical anomalism is reflective of a mineralised hydrothermal system. Higher tenor molybdenum anomalism indicates potential mineralised zones while the presence of pathfinder element anomalism and hydrothermal alteration haloes indicate distal features.
Assay results pending
The company recently completed its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Highway Project to gain a better understanding of the mineral system and where prime mineralisation may be located.
This program consisted of 22 RC holes for 3,062 metres to test IP anomalism identified earlier this year and to follow up on shallow historical drill holes with molybdenum and base metal anomalism.
The RC assays are now at the lab for analysis and are expected back in around one month.
Looking ahead
Taiton will now focus exploration activities on the high-priority molybdenum anomalism in the northern area where potential molybdenum mineralisation may be preserved.
Exploration will then move outwards to distal lower tenor molybdenum and associated pathfinder anomalism.
“The path forward for Taiton is now about the next drilling program to test the molybdenum anomalism and using the UltraFine soils sampling process on the other regional exploration areas within our Highway Project,” said Ong.