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Western Australian focused gold and lithium explorer BMG Resources Limited (ASX: BMG) has completed a drilling program of 20 RC holes for 1,485m to test Lithium and gold targets at the Bullabulling Project located in Coolgardie region of the Eastern Goldfields in Western Australia.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- BMG completes 20-hole Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program, for 1485m, to test lithium and gold targets at the Bullabulling Project, WA
- Pegmatites confirmed in multiple holes including:
- Ubini Prospect: Hole 23BBRC016 – 28m of pegmatite from 2m
- Purple Panda: multiple intercepts of pegmatites and felsic intrusives along the line
- A two-hole fence testing historic gold mineralisation returned ~1.25m quartz vein in the interpreted lode location in 23BBRC019 from 53m
- Assays expected in coming weeks
- BMG has an Option to acquire the Bullabulling Project until mid-June
Historic exploration identified widespread pegmatite occurrences within the Project tenure, several of which contain lithium mineralisation assaying greater than 1% Li2O. Recent work undertaken by BMG confirmed the LCT characteristics of these pegmatites through geochemical assay ratio analysis – refer 15 February ASX announcement ‘BMG Expands WA Lithium and Gold Footprint with Project Acquisition’. The presence of evolved mineral phases such as tantalite, cassiterite, amblygonite, zinnwaldite, lepidolite and spodumene, coupled with favourable textures, underlines the exploration potential of the system for economically significant lithium mineralisation.
The drilling program confirmed pegmatites in multiple holes, with the Ubini and Purple Panda prospects emerging as early targets.
On 15 February, BMG entered into a four-month binding option agreement to acquire, at BMG’s discretion, a 100% interest in the Bullabulling Project– refer 15 February ASX announcement ‘BMG Expands WA Lithium and Gold Footprint with Project Acquisition’.
BMG Resources Managing Director Bruce McCracken said:
“BMG’s first drilling program at the Bullabulling Project has shown early potential for gold and lithium discovery, with the Ubini and Purple Panda prospects emerging as early targets.
“Assays are due in coming weeks that will help to inform the Company’s decision regarding its Option to acquire Bullabulling, which is open until mid-June
“Coolgardie has a long history of gold production and an increasing significance as one of Western Australia’s most prospective lithium regions. The Bullabulling Project presents an opportunity for BMG to acquire an early- stage exploration project in the neighbourhood of multi-generational mining operations.”
Figure 1 – Regional Location of Bullabulling Project, including significant regional Lithium projects and historic Bullabulling gold mine
Reverse Circulation Drilling Program undertaken by BMG
BMG has completed a 20 hole RC drill program for 1,485m, to test Lithium targets at Ubini, Red Panda and Purple Panda prospects, and gold target at the Poolmans prospect.
Figure 2 – RC drilling (drill collars shown in green) undertaken by BMG at Bullabulling Project
A single drill line of 8 holes, executed at Ubini returned 28m and 9m of pegmatite in holes 23BBRC016 and 23BBRC015 from surface and 48m downhole respectively. Cross sectional analysis of these intercepts indicates an easterly dip is likely and so these intercepts are narrower in true width than they appear in the trays.
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This article includes content from BMG Resources Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
IND Establishes HPQ Exploration Target at Pippingarra Project
Highlights
- IND’s recent RC drilling program informs a Maiden High Purity Quartz (HPQ) Exploration Target at the Pippingarra Quarry Project.
- Drilling is planned for the exploration target area and to test several quartz occurrences mapped across the wider Mining Lease area.
- IND plans to commence work on a HPQ Mineral Resource Estimate in parallel with metallurgical testwork being conducted by potential offtake partners and third-party mineral processing laboratories.
- A 300kg Pippingarra quartz sample crushed from existing quarry stockpiles sent to China in late 2023 produced a >GG.GG4% SiO2 end product following standard HPQ processing1.
- A further 24 tonne bulk sample comprising crushed quartz rock has been shipped to China for processing, metallurgical test work, and assessment by potential offtake partners.
Figure 1: IND Pippingarra Quarry Project location and infrastructure.
In October 2023, IND announced the agreement of binding terms2 with North West Quarries Pty Ltd (NWQ) for an exclusive option to acquire an 80% interest in the non-construction material mineral rights.
Jeff Sweet, Managing Director of Industrial Minerals, commented:
“Following on from one of our potential offtake partners in China achieving a processed High Purity Ǫuartz product grading >SS.SS4% SiO2, we are extremely positive about the potential to supply Pippingarra quartz into high-end quartz markets.
“The Pippingarra Exploration Target is limited to an area where IND completed RC drilling in late 2023, to the east of the existing open pit. There are several quartz outcrops mapped across the broader Mining Lease area that will also be drilled with the intention to include these untested HPǪ target opportunities in the upcoming Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for Pippingarra.
“Our motivation to commence work towards a MRE is to leverage our unique position of having an active mining operation at the Pippingarra Ǫuarry. We believe this will give potential offtake partners the confidence to enter into offtake agreements with IND, knowing that we can rapidly advance to be mine ready and have a suitable mine life to support long term supply needs.”
Maiden High Purity Quartz Exploration Target
Table 1: Pippingarra HPQ Exploration Target range.
The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature, and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target has been prepared and reported in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC Code.
The Exploration Target is based upon the Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling program completed by IND in December 2023. Drilling was conducted on a 50m x 50m spacing. From this, holes INRC003 – INRC009 recorded thicknesses of white crystalline quartz over widths from 12m to 20m as reported in the Table 2 below.
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This article includes content from Industrial Minerals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Positive Findings from Newmont Ti Benchmarking Study
Highlights
- Titanium industry expert TZMI completes titanium benchmarking study on the Salazar Critical Minerals Project
- Study identifies Newmont as a standout from its peers in terms of Ti and TREO in-situ grade
- Benchmarking study is highly encouraging and supports validating flowsheet for production of titanium minerals from Salazar
Salazar Critical Minerals Project Ti Benchmarking Study
Following successful characterisation testwork of Ti mineralisation at the Newmont Deposit area1, West Cobar Metals engaged international titanium expert TZ Minerals International Pty Ltd (TZMI) to complete a benchmarking study of the Newmont resource.
TZMI is a global, independent consulting and publishing company which specialises in all aspects of the mineral sands, titanium dioxide and coatings industries2.
The Newmont resource3 and characterisation data was used by TZMI to benchmark the Salazar project deposit against several existing operations and potential new projects under development using publicly available information and TZMI estimates. The outcomes of the benchmarking are shown in Figure 1.
The benchmarking study shows that the Ti contained within the Newmont deposit has promising potential for economic extraction and that the Newmont resource is positioned favourably amongst peer resources in respect of both Ti and rare earth element content.
Figure 1 : Salazar Project (Newmont deposit) benchmarking
The relative positioning of the Newmont Inferred Ti and rare earth element resource is very positive for West Cobar, with relatively high insitu TiO2 grades and TREO grades compared to its peers. The Ti levels of the resource (on a whole rock basis) compare very favourably to both developing and operating projects.
TZMI concluded that “In terms of final ilmenite product quality, the composition of the magnetic fraction (comprising predominantly ilmenite) shows some promise with TiO₂ levels as high as 48.5%. This suggests the ilmenite is likely present as primary ilmenite … the CaO, MgO, V₂O₅, Cr₂O₃ in the magnetic fraction all seem relatively low which is positive and likely to be within the accepted levels for ilmenite used in sulfate pigment production.”
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This article includes content from West Cobar Metals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
High Grade Copper Rock Chips to 18% on New Targets at Ti-Tree
- Two new prospects, Tiberius and Claudius, have returned high-grade copper and significant silver assays in rock chips from recent field work
- High grade assays up to 17.8% Cu and 282g/t Ag have been discovered on the Tiberius zone, currently 3m wide and extending for over 200m along strike.
- Claudius, 11km south of Tiberius, comprised of several parallel zones over a 100m by 300m area, returned grades up to 6.6% Cu and 86g/t Ag.
- The discovery of these prospects, 30km northwest from Copper Ridge which contain historic workings not marked on GSWA maps, highlights the significant prospectivity of the Gascoyne region.
- Further field work is being planned to determine the extent of these new discoveries.
Andrew Ford, GM Exploration
“These results highlight the potential of this underexplored area to host as yet undiscovered mineralisation. Less than 5% of the 3,600 sq km area of the Ti-Tree Project has had any previous exploration, and to discover unrecorded historic mining areas is very exciting. These results are a credit the Augustus geological team.”
Figure 1 Location of the Tiberius and Claudius prospects
Tiberius
Reconnaissance field work conducted on the Ti Tree Project’s northwestern tenement has discovered high grade copper and silver mineralisation (Figure 3) in two areas. Tiberius, the northern target comprises a quartz-sulphide vein system up to 3m wide and outcrops for over 200m (Figure 5).
A shallow shaft has been dug on the vein system (Figure 2). Another vein set was identified 600m along strike east-northeast of the main vein increasing the potential size of the target. The high grade veins contain both oxidized copper, high silver grades, lead sulphide and anomalous gold (Table 1).
Claudius
The Claudius prospect is located 10km to the southwest of Tiberius, comprised of quartz veined brecciated and silicified granite with mineralised veins mapped over a 100m x 300m area. The main area of outcropping mineralisation has been trenched by prospectors and rock chip sampling returned strong copper mineralisation in an iron rich siliceous vein. Silver was consistently elevated (up to 86g/t) with associated gold anomalism to 0.68g/t (Table 1, Figures 4 and 6).
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
From the Bronze Age to the Green Revolution: Mining's Timeless Role in Shaping Humanity's Future
During his presentation at the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada convention, mining industry figure Mark Cutifani recounted the role the mining sector has had in humanity's past and will play in its burgeoning future.
“I'm focused on how we might catalyze new conversations around mining and its contribution to society,” he told listeners at the annual event, which took place in early March. “It is through our great pioneers and innovators that we continue to transform our work, and its value to society in so many different dimensions”
In simple terms, everything we use and make is derived from materials like metals and minerals, noted Cutifani.
Minerals used in electric cars compared to conventional cars.
Chart via the International Energy Agency.
In his view, while technical discussions about improving industry practices are essential, it's also crucial to help people understand the significance of the mining industry in the functioning of society as a whole.
For example, the average smartphone uses 13 metals and minerals, while electric vehicles require seven, including copper, lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, graphite, zinc and rare earths.
Mining's key role in the world's future
Cutifani went on to highlight how metals and minerals contribute to the health of our waterways and oceans.
“The provision of clean water is an absolute necessity to sustain life as we know it. We need minerals to purify, pump, use and recycle water. (We are) an industry that uses about 3 percent of the world's water to support everything else that happens on the planet. We are overwhelmingly a positive for global water balances,” he said.
In addition to water, the mining of phosphate and potash is imperative to global food supply, according to Cutifani, because without the valuable fertilizers they produce, “we could only feed half the planet.”
Even though there may be debates about eliminating certain products like fertilizers, he said it's essential to understand the broader implications and consequences of such decisions on global food security.
Beyond food security, metals and the alloys they produce have allowed us to curb urban sprawl through skyscrapers and high-rise residential towers that require steel and concrete, both of which are produced using mined and quarried materials. While we often hear of the vast amounts of metals needed for the energy transition, Cutifani noted that the energy transition debate tends to overlook other critical global issues like water, food security and shelter.
In his view, addressing global challenges will require the consideration of all fundamental human needs. It's essential to broaden the conversation and recognize the interconnectedness of various societal issues.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.