Tempest Minerals Ltd (ASX:TEM) has kicked off initial field work at its Five Wheels Project, 146 kilometres north of Wiluna in Western Australia’s Warburton Mineral field.
Legacy exploration at the project has identified high-grade soil results including 1,130 ppm copper and 847 ppm zinc.
Additionally, previous iron ore exploration drilling outlined the presence of key geological units that are now associated with base metal mineralisation.
Looking ahead, the initial fieldwork program includes project setup, reconnaissance and geological mapping and sampling at selected areas for the remainder of October.
Prospective region
In July 2023, Tempest announced the acquisition of the Five Wheels Project spanning 266 square kilometres within the Nabberu region.
This area lies on the northern edge of the Earaheedy Basin, a locale that has been explored for multiple commodities for over a century due to its proximity to mining towns like Wiluna.
The region gained renewed interest in the 2020s after Rumble Resources' Earaheedy Project announced a major discovery in April 2021.
Neighbouring Strickland Resources Ltd and its Iroquois Project have also announced similar styles of mineralisation in 2023.
The Five Wheels Project is about 36 kilometres north of these major developments and is considered to exhibit similar geological prospectivity.
Five Wheels project location.
Legacy exploration
Historic exploration in the vicinity of the Five Wheels Project was primarily or solely focused on iron ore prospectivity.
This exploration occurred prior to the understanding of base metal prospectivity in the Earaheedy Basin.
In the western portion of the project, legacy soil geochemistry collected very high-grade samples, including 1,130 parts per million (approximately 0.1%) copper and 847 ppm zinc.
On the western side of the project, key geological units such as the Yelma Formation and the Frere Formation— notably associated with mineralisation in other parts of the Earaheedy Basin—have been intersected in legacy drilling for iron ore but were not assayed.
Legacy exploration.
Forward plan
The next steps at Five Wheels include:
- Project-wide data compilation in progress;
- Results of initial fieldwork expected late December quarter; and
- Fieldwork will inform further fieldwork and drill targeting for 2024.