Dreadnought Resources Limited (ASX:DRE) has confirmed unconformity HREE mineralisation, similar to the Browns Range project, at the 100% owned Bresnahan project, located in the Ashburton Region of Western Australia.
Bresnahan was only acquired at the end of 2022 as a conceptual unconformity HREE province given the geological similarities to Browns Range in northern Australia and the Athabasca Basin in Canada where the model was developed and published in 2018.
Target generation and definition work will commence in February/March 2023.
From concept to proof of concept in a few months, and a single reconnaissance field visit, Dreadnought has positioned itself with a significant land holding in an emerging HREE province making Dreadnought one of the few, if not only, rare earth companies with exposure to critical light (Nd, Pr) and heavy (Dy, Tb) rare earths,” Managing Director, Dean Tuck, said.
“With over 3,700 sq kms to now systematically explore, Dreadnought is excited at what Bresnahan will produce over the next 12 months as we aim to generate and define targets throughout 2023.”
Bresnahan Unconformity HREEs
Bresnahan is a conceptual unconformity HREE project containing >3,700 sq. km of prospective ground. Bresnahan is located ~125km southwest of Newman in the Ashburton Basin and is accessible by the Ashburton Downs – Meekatharra Road.
In November 2022, a two-day reconnaissance program was undertaken to collect surface samples along significant structural trends and geophysical anomalies to confirm HREE mineralisation and associated pathfinders. In total, 17 locations were visited along the unconformity and basement structures. This programme confirmed significant alteration, veining, brecciation and related hematite and manganese alteration associated with prospective structures.
In addition to rare earths, assays confirmed widespread pathfinder association along all major structures. Given the reconnaissance nature of the program, this is considered a resounding success and confirmation that Bresnahan has significant potential to host unconformity HREEs.
Next steps include geophysical surveys, and systematic mapping and sampling of the >300km of strike along major structural trends to define targets.
In addition to the unconformity HREE mineralisation, an Au-Ag-Sb prospect was confirmed and higlights the potential for mesothermal Au-Ag-Sb mineralisation similar to that seen elsewhere in the region (eg Black Cat Syndicate Ltd’s Mt Clement deposit).
Significant results include:
BBRK0012: 11.8 g/t Au, 650 g/t Ag and 2.9% Sb, and BBRK0013: 11.9 g/t Au, 710 g/t Ag, 0.5% Sb
Given the similarities in structural setting of mesothermal Au-Ag-Sb and unconformity HREEs, all early stage exploration will be applicable to both styles of mineralisation and Au-Ag-Sb targets will be generated alongside HREE targets.