Norwest Minerals Limited (ASX: NWM) has mobilised an RC drill rig to test its Arunta West high priority rare earth element (REE), copper-gold and base metal targets at its 840 sq. km Arunta West Project (100% owned) in Western Australia.
The strong REE anomaly is similar to the high-grade Dazzler and Iceman REE deposits at Browns Range located outside of Halls Creek in WA.
The presence of elevated copper-gold & base metals at the margin of the “REE lows” show potential for an IOCG and/or base metals system. Both targets are located at the western end of the 80km long tenement package, being approximately 70kms south of the recently announced REE discovery by WA1 Resources Limited. Norwest expects the drilling to commence in circa one week.
“Norwest is happy to be drilling these exciting geochemical targets prior to the end of this year and we certainly appreciate the recognition and support received from the WA government via its A$180k EIS grant,” Norwest’s CEO, Mr. Charles Schaus
The Norwest drilling follows the announcement by explorer WA1 Resources Limited (ASX: WA1) of the REE discovery on its West Arunta project located nearby. Importantly, the pending wet season risks are mitigated by a fully maintained road passing close to the drill site which will allow rapid demobilisation in the event of monsoonal conditions. Norwest expects the drilling to commence in circa one week.” CEO, Charles Schaus, said.
The Rare Earth Element (REE) Anomaly
The company’s independent consulting geochemist has identified an area having highly elevated, coincident, rare earth elements Cerium (Ce), Lanthanum (La) and Yttrium (Y) concentrated in zones along a 3km section of the contact between the Mount Webb granites and Bitter Springs sediments. The new rare earth anomaly, which remains open to the west, is located on tenement E80/5031 being 100% held by Norwest.
The geological contact location between the Bitter Springs sediments and Mount Webb granite is supported by geophysical evidence including radiometric and magnetic surveys. The geophysics also defines a major NE-SW trending structure crossing and disrupting the geological contact. The structural offsets appear to be a focus for the rare earth elements Ce, La and Y.
An REE Discovery Benchmark
Aspects of the Browns Range Rare Earths Project, owned by Northern Minerals were reviewed by Norwest due to its proximity to the new Arunta West rare earth anomaly. The Browns Range operation is located 160km southeast Halls Creek and in 2019 began producing Heavy Rare Earth Elements from hard rock through its pilot plant.
Northern Minerals open file WAMEX report (a109438) from 2013-14 includes Ce, La and Y data from initial soil sampling programmes at Browns Range which led to the identification of the high-grade Dazzler and Iceman REE prospects. Recent follow-up RC drilling at Dazzler has delineated an Inferred Mineral Resource of 0.21Mt @ 2.33 Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO).
Comparing the Dazzler & Iceman REE prospects to the new Arunta West rare earth anomaly reveals noteworthy similarities including a lookalike geological setting where the higher-grade Ce, La & Y elements are concentrated at disruptions along a major granite-sediment contact.
Of interest, is the tenor of the coincident Ce and La surface samples over the Arunta West anomaly being more than double that of the same ‘high-grade’ elements used to identify the Dazzler and Iceman prospects in 2013-14.
For further information please visit: https://norwestminerals.com.au/
