Targeting PGEs In Red Hot Yilgarn Craton
Pursuit Minerals (ASX:PUR) is the latest to join the hunt for Platinum Group Elements (PGE) and Nickel (Ni) – Copper (Cu) mineralisation on the edges of the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia with the posting of an application for two exploration licences covering 404 sq. km which comprise the Combatant PGE- Ni-Cu Project.
The north-western margin of the Archean Yilgarn Craton is considered a new frontier for Platinum Group Elements (PGE) and Nickel (Ni) – Copper (Cu) mineralisation associated with intrusive mafic to ultramafic rocks.
The discovery of PGE-Ni-Cu mineralisation on the Julimar Project held by Chalice Gold Mines Limited in 2020 and Sirius Resources’ Nova project demonstrate that the margins of the Yilgarn Craton hold the potential for significant new world-class discoveries.
The Combatant Project is situated approximately 270km northeast from Geraldton and 210km west of Meekatharra, within the geological province which has been demonstrated to host mafic and ultramafic rocks that contain significant PGE-Nickel-Copper-Gold mineralisation, including the Irrida Hill Project.
The Project covers a number of known mafic-ultramafic rock units and unexplored magnetic and gravity anomalies suspected to be mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks
The Combatant tenement applications cover part of the Narryer Terrain as interpreted by Dessert Metals and the Geological Survey of Western Australia GSWA
Managing Director, Mark Freeman, said that in addition to PGE-Ni-Cu prospectivity the Combatant Project has potential for orogenic gold as ASTER data indicates alteration patterns similar to orogenic gold systems
“Following success at our Warrior project, the Combatant tenement applications represents a low-cost way to add more PGE-Ni-Cu prospective ground to Pursuit’s portfolio focused around the margins of the Yilgarn craton, with the bonus of possible gold mineralisation.
“Recent success by explorers such as Chalice, Sirius and Desert Metals have demonstrated that these significantly under explored terrains are highly prospective for significant PGE-Ni-Cu mineralisation.”
The Combatant Project occurs on the northwest margin of the Yilgarn craton, and Desert Metals with its Nayyer project, are progressing exploration following an AEM survey.
The area of the Combatant Project remains poorly explored for PGE’s, as well as base metals, due the prior focus of exploration companies on gold and iron.
Discovery of PGE-Ni-Cu mineralisation on the margins of the Yilgarn craton has generally followed drilling electromagnetic (EM) anomalies associated with a high amplitude aeromagnetic anomaly.
The aeromagnetic anomaly is due to the mafic-ultramafic intrusion which hosts the PGE-Ni-Cu mineralisation while the PGE-Ni-Cu mineralisation is strongly conductive and produces a significant anomaly in electromagnetic (EM) data.
Consequently, Pursuit intends to employ a similar exploration approach on the Combatant Project, to which lead to the discovery of Julimar and Nova-Bollinger.
Pursuit is currently undertaking interpretation of the available aeromagnetic data to define anomalies which could be due to prospective mafic-ultramafic rock units. These will be further investigated with electromagnetic surveys and geochemical sampling in order to define and prioritise drill targets.
The two tenement applications cover approximately 404 sq. km.
Pursuit intends to undertake its initial fieldwork on the Combatant Project during the April-June and July- September quarters 2021. This work will consist of prospect scale geological mapping, rock chip and soil geochemistry, along with planning for electromagnetic surveys, to be followed by an initial drill program.
Preparatory work on the project has commenced and it has focussed on the interpretation of aeromagnetic data covering the two tenements in order to identify magnetic anomalies which are potentially due to mafic and ultramafic intrusions.
The company plans to expediate the granting of the tenement applications and is progressing discussions with various landowners, native title groups and government agencies.
