Great Western Exploration Ltd (ASX: GTE) is gearing up for an intense exploration program at its Fairbairn copper project in Western Australia, where it believes there’s potential for another deposit in the vein of Sandfire’s DeGrussa, located 120 kilometres away.
The company will kick off its drilling program in late April or early May, zooming in on three targets where geological modelling has already been completed, with the latter indicating the potential for volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits similar to those which gave rise to the 2.6 million tonne DeGrussa.
The choice of targets is based on twin surveys reported by Great Western in September last year: a fixed-loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground survey and a heliborne EM survey. These targets will be drilled to depths between 250 and 350 metres, with follow up drilling already planned for.
In its March 2024 Quarterly Activities Report, Great Western also highlighted developments at its Yerrida North project, where it has more closely refined the geological model of the Oval and Oval South targets – believed to host Winu-style intrusive related copper-gold mineralisation.
These targets also have a connection to Sandfire – and to Rio Tinto – being identified by the latter in the late 1990s, and later defined by the former.
Great Western Exploration has been trading at 6c.