Carawine Resources (ASX: CWX) has commenced a geophysical survey programme to explore for magmatic nickel-copper sulphide deposits at the company’s 100%-owned Red Bull, Bindii and Big Bang tenements located in the Fraser Range region of Western Australia.
The MLEM programme has been designed to test for conductive bedrock anomalies at five target areas: HW- 1 (Red Bull south tenement), RB_D (Red Bull north tenement) BB5 and BB6 (Big Bang tenement) and BI- 1 (Bindii tenement). These areas were determined based on geophysical and/or geochemical data, targeting potential formation of magmatic nickel-copper sulphides associated with mafic-ultramafic intrusive complexes. Any conductive anomaly identified from the survey will be modelled to determine if it is likely to represent a bedrock conductor which may then be considered for drill testing.
MLEM Survey Programme
Red Bull North
At the northern Red Bull tenement, located approximately 30km south of IGO Ltd’s magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt Nova-Bollinger Deposit, a review of MLEM survey data previously collected by IGO and Carawine’s Fraser Range Joint Venture (FRJV) has identified a new target named “RB_D”. RB_D is approximately 2km east of the “RB_C” conductor, which was identified and subsequently drill tested by the FRJV2, prior to IGO relinquishing the Red Bull tenements from the FRJV and returning them to Carawine.
RB_D has been modelled as a localised strong anomaly with a clear Z late channel peak, X+ peak and Y cross-line anomalism. However, the 400m wide survey line spacing is not sufficiently defined to assess its significance or design a drill hole to test its source. Therefore, infill MLEM survey lines are planned to better define the anomaly as a potential drill target. The MLEM survey program comprises three north- south lines spaced at 200m, for a total of 3.6km and 39 stations at 100m station spacing.
Red Bull South
At the southern Red Bull tenement, a review of MLEM survey data also collected by the FRJV has identified two poorly constrained anomalies in wide-spaced data, with too many model variations possible to confidently assess their source. Infill and extension MLEM survey lines are planned to enable improved modelling of these anomalies and better assess their significance.
The MLEM survey program on the southern Red Bull tenement comprises eight east-west lines for a total of 12km and 130 stations (at 100m station spacing, and 200 to 400m line spacing).
Big Bang
At Big Bang, a MLEM survey is planned over targets BB5 and BB6 – two of the remaining four untested targets considered prospective for magmatic nickel-copper mineralisation on the tenement:
- BB5 is a magnetic low with a coincident >20ppm Cu and >30ppm Ni auger soil anomaly, and
- BB6 is a magnetic low with a >30ppm Ni auger soil anomaly coincident with its southern edge.
The MLEM survey programme comprises 14 east-west lines spaced at 400m, for a total of 48km and 250 stations at 200m spacing.
Bindii
At Bindii, three magnetic anomaly complexes have been identified as potential intrusive centres prospective for magmatic nickel-copper mineralisation. In two of these complexes, mafic rocks (pyroxenite and gabbronorite) have been identified in end-of-hole samples in previous wide-spaced aircore drilling at 130m to 150m depth.
MLEM Survey Method
The programme has been designed for each target area to be surveyed using a 400m x 400m square wire loop moved along survey lines with a SQUID B-field sensor run in “slingram” mode offset 150m from the loop edge. This is designed to detect any conductors to more than 300m below surface.
