Exploration Licence 5939 the “Nullarbor Project” is centred on the western margin of the Gawler Craton. Geologically the project covers a portion of the Fowler Domain interpreted to be a mobile belt of igneous and metamorphic rocks. It hosts deep...
Exploration Licence 5939 the “Nullarbor Project” is centred on the western margin of the Gawler Craton. Geologically the project covers a portion of the Fowler Domain interpreted to be a mobile belt of igneous and metamorphic rocks. It hosts deep seated structures with a complex long lived Proterozoic tectonic and intrusive history. The area is being explored for craton-boundary nickel-copper mineralisation, such as seen in the Canadian Thompson nickel belt, and on the Frasers Range belt in Western Australia. Nickel, copper, and PGE sulphides have been discovered within the neighbouring Western Gawler Project area, as well as widespread gold anomalism. EL 5939 forms part of Western Area’s "Nullarbor Project" in conjunction with EL 5688. On going negotiations regarding conditions of access to the Yalata Reserve has delayed exploration activities. On-ground work is scheduled to commence from mid-2018. Ongoing program planning and assessment has defined targets and areas of interest for future work programs. During the second licence year to 5th April 2019, Western Areas Ltd (WSA) completed targeting and drill planning, an airborne EM survey as part of a broader survey, and the drilling of reconnaissance aircore holes. During mid-2018 a regional?scale Heli-borne EM Survey was completed by SKYTEM Australia Pty Ltd. over the Western Gawler Project. Flight lines were initially surveyed at a 1,200 m spacing, with infill lines at a 600 m?300 m spacing over areas with a lower conductive overburden response, 9 lines were surveyed for a total of 108-line km within EL 5939. In early December 2018, 8 holes (18WGAC393 to 400) were drilled totalling 898 m. Drilling was completed by Wallis Drilling using a wheel-based multi-purpose Mantis 1000 drill-rig. All holes successfully reached basement, with drillholes ranging between 49 – 137 m in total depth. Drilling intersected a range of basement lithologies including calc-alkaline diorite gneisses and contact metamorphosed, relatively high SiO2 amphibolite, including a felsic porphyry dyke rock. The drilling did not identify any rocks with potential to host IOCG deposits, including altered/oxidised granitoids. No anomalous geochemical results were reported from the drilling campaign and drillholes. In 2022, WSA was acquired by IGO Limited and became a fully owned subsidiary of the latter. At the end of November 2023, the company (IGO) made the decision to surrender in full EL 5393, with the surrender entered into the Mining Register 20/06/2024. The tenement has been assessed for potential for magmatic nickel sulphides and oxide nickel, along with other commodities of interest to IGO. The analysis of these results by IGO has indicated that the depth of cover prohibits effective exploration for the Ni target commodities.
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