Exploration in early stage. Good start.
EAL001 rig breaks down and first hole not completed. But interesting TREO and Cu in hematite altered lithologies.
WA1 drill 3 areas and two are carbonatites with "interesting" niobium values Follow up at Luni on 200mX200m grid encouraging enough to warrant infill to 100x100 in selected areas.
ENR complete EAL01 and a further 7 holes with 3 zones of carbonatite with 'interesting' niobium and some REEs.
Successful exploration starts for ENR (and WA1) show there
may be a district scale opportunity in the West Arunta for Niobium in weathered carbonatites.
ENR plans to follow WA1's lead and pepper the interpreted strike extent and geophysical targets with some 80-100 RC holes beginning in August (mid to late?).
Results of this planned drilling will provide more grist for speculation... or not.
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11 200m spaced sections are shown above. Overkill to test all systematically at this stage but gives an idea of what drilling on 200x(?200) could mean with possibly 2-4 holes on each of these 'fences'. Expand to 3.5Kms of strike and beyond such that 80-100 holes would not be enough. Hopefully proves to be that way with multiple other targets as well.
The gravity anomaly appears to be explained by the ultramafic Lamprophyre intrusive in the lower 200m of the hole.
One version of description for Lamprophyre.Wikipedia on lamprophyre.Highly selective extract:
Both ultramafic and alkaline lamprophyres coexist in nepheline syenite-carbonatitic massifs (e.g. in the Kolapeninsula of Russia, Nosova et al. 2021). Table from paper.
Complex rock types (lamprophyres) that often show up around gold deposits (viewed as indication of deep seated plumbing systems).
The Argyle diamond mine was hosted by Lamproite which is apparently a "relative" of lamprophyre.
[Like many of the REE hosts and associated lithologies there is a steep learning curve involved as these are not rock types that Geos commonly see.]
The idea of deep seated plumbing is probably applicable to the lithologies seen in Holes 5 and 8 (plus the carbonatites). Something ENR geos will probably like.
Probably need holes on 40m centers with a dyke of this thickness.
from Jorc appendix
Orientation measurements fromEAL001, EAL007 and EAL008 diamond core indicate the unit is steeplydipping and strikes parallel to the major interpreted east-west ElephantIsland Fault
(20min delay)