Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) will aggressively pursue the rare earth elements (REE) potential of Saltwater Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, starting with targeted fieldwork designed to position the company with a first-mover advantage in the emerging REE province.
The company will pursue light and heavy REEs and is encouraged by previous REE assays of 9% and 11% REE returned along strike of the Saltwater Project.
Aruma is also aware of Dreadnaught Resources Ltd’s accumulation of a major landholding at its Bresnahan REE Project, immediately adjacent to Saltwater. Dreadnought has delivered significant initial light and heavy REE results.
Shifting the gold focus
The Saltwater Project consists of four granted Exploration Licences (EL52/3818, EL52/3846, and EL52/3857) over a total area of 450 square kilometres and is about 100 kilometres southwest of the regional mining centre of Newman.
Aruma had originally pegged the project in 2020 for its gold prospectivity based on the reactive stratigraphy adjacent to the Nanjilgardy Fault within the project area that controls around six million ounces of known gold mineralisation along its entire strike.
Exploration at Saltwater to date has been gold-focused and has consisted of two phases of reverse circulation (RC) drilling within a targeted area.
In assessing historic exploration, Aruma revealed REE, base metals, gold and uranium results from previous explorers in the Saltwater region.
Notably, U308 (ASX:UTO) Limited reported extremely high assay results up to 11% rare earths at the Sirius and Lavanto prospects within the area in 2010, in grab samples, while other REE occurrences have been recorded at Saltwater in drill holes and surface samples.
Dreadnaught has already delivered highly encouraging initial REE exploration results, with significant light and heavy REE results returned from reconnaissance surface samples along major basement structures.
The fieldwork conducted by U3O8 in 2010, which returned very high-grade REE results, was close to basement structures that traverse specific stratigraphy of the Wyloo group sediments near the major unconformity with the Bresnahan group.
Previous exploration by U308 also delivered grades of up to 3.1% copper, 1.4% lead, 1.5% vanadium and 2 g/t gold in samples from costeans at Nobbys prospect, and Aruma also plans to pursue the multi-commodity potential of the project area in its planned fieldworks programs.
Aruma to start REE works program
Aruma has identified an interpreted REE lithology extending over a total linear target of in excess of 80 kilometres of prospective shales.
This is supported by mapped outcrop identified in a recent reconnaissance site visit.
With that data in mind, Aruma plans to undertake a more detailed site visit in coming weeks, when it will conduct a surface sampling program.
Samples will be sent for laboratory analysis, and (subject to results) it will then complete a geophysical survey and mapping program with a view to defining targets for a maiden REE-focused drill program.
Aruma will also adopt a multi-commodity approach in its planned upcoming fieldwork to assess the base and precious metals prospectivity of the wider project area.
Gold work at Salmon continues
While Aruma is buoyed by its REE outcomes, it is still focused on its Salmon Gums Gold Project.
The company recently completed two geophysical surveys over the Salmon Gums project: a detailed aeromagnetic survey across the width of the known greenstone sequence and a ground gravity survey over the more advanced prospects of Thistle and Iris.
Results will be used to scope the full extent of the Salmon Gums Greenstone and enhance the lithological and structural understanding at the Thistle and Iris prospects. Drill targets for planned upcoming drilling campaign will be defined from these with drilling estimated to start in March.
With the discovery of Norseman-style high-grade gold (5 metres at 50 g/t gold from 43 metres in drill hole SGRC039) at Salmon Gums in 2022, which was followed up with diamond drilling that redefined the width of the known greenstone, it became apparent that new base level targeting data was needed.
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