MTM are one of the numerous companies in the West Arunta area holding enough ground to contain a deposit or two..
They look like small tenements but each could encompass a Luni size deposit. The location of the blocks is on the margins of WA1 ground which probably represent the outer portions of what was considered the best ground by the early movers.
Not at my main computer so can't give a very accurate location rendition (red/white shapes) on this first vertical derivative mag image.
If any way accurate my first impression is the tenements are off the main mag trends or cover is very deep and obscuring the basement mag. Given CGR have late kimberlites and mafic units intruding the 400-1000 Mya cover sequence there is some possibility the lack of magnetics is a total negative. Probably means any exploration will be more expensive than say for much of the core land of ENR/WA1 where aircore is a possible first pass approach.
While there is some unavoidable cross promotion when looking at a regional picture work by others adds to the whole.
A model not specifically for the west Arunta but IMO makes a lot of sense for the magnetic patterns and geology. The area has a complex history which can be over simplified as above. The continental crust gets sliced and diced by various tectonic events which allow fluids and magmas to intrude from the mantle depths along the many faults and fractures created. This takes place over significant time frames and can be repeated in some locations. The continental crust is likewise the result of multiple accretion events with various intrusive phases (Mt Webb, Dwarf Well 'granites' some examples from memory). This crust is mainly old at >1500 My. The surrounding basins are probably <1100 My (Amadeus, Marraba (Hidden??age) at 800-`1000+ My, and the latest being the Canning (<600 My)
The age of mineralisation at Luni/Crean is yet to be determined or made public.
ENR's first hole contained alteration dated around 1600 My which may or may not be the age of the carbonatite dyke some 200m further down the hole. Suspect it may be but needs direct confirmation.
CGR have put the kimberlites at Canning Basin age as they intrude Amadeus sediments. Not sure about this and needs more research.
The latter does open the possibility for multiple mineralising events in the West Arunta when combined with the model above.
The complex eastern margin of the Canning basin does extend north of the core ENR/WA1 ground and has tenements under application by both even though cover may be relatively deep. Further north are LYN, CUF and BUX (among others) who are targeting discrete mag+- gravity highs in seas of low magnetics. BHP drilling showed g**abbro and diorite at shallow depths so a variant of CGN? IOCG/CARBONATITE?? May find Ni in the mafics!
An extremely simplified, and limited, version of the West Arunta which likely has some validity needing a lot of further work. Continued exploration and a long lived mine or two in the area will help provide the basis for this.
MTM - IMO an uphill battle in the West Arunta that is probably not where they will get the best bang for their buck. Any company with ground off the main magnetic trends needs to be prepared for costly exploration. Some of the isolated mag/grav highs will help drilling costs.
Main reason for post was to introduce the model.
ENR Price at posting:
31.0¢ Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
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