Miramar Resources Limited’s (ASX:M2R) final magnetic/radiometric survey data has highlighted multiple potential REE intrusions over 35km long target corridor at the company’s 100%-owned Dooley Downs Project, in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.
Dooley Downs is located within the Capricorn Orogen, which hosts the Yangibana REE Project and recent REE discoveries including by Dreadnought Resources Ltd and Lanthanein Resources Ltd.
The magnetic and radiometric survey has identified several large magnetic and/or radiometric anomalies over a strike length of approximately 35km, highlighting the potential for multiple unmapped intrusions, including carbonatites capable of hosting rare earth element (REE) mineralisation.
Miramar’s Executive Chairman, Allan Kelly, said the results of the survey highlighted the significant multi-commodity potential of the Company’s strategic Bangemall Project tenements.
“When we targeted the Bangemall region in 2019, the area was poorly explored and only sporadically pegged,” he said.
“Our initial target was nickel, copper and PGE mineralisation associated with Proterozoic dolerite dykes, but we were always alert to the potential for other styles of mineralisation, including gold and rare earths, and designed our exploration programmes to include discovery of these other deposit types.” he said.
“The last 12 to 18 months have seen extensive tenement pegging and new REE discoveries by some of our neighbours. We have many of the same indicators at Dooley Downs and plan to develop these targets further over coming months,” he added.
Magnetic/Radiometric Survey
In late 2022, the company commissioned a detailed airborne magnetic and radiometric survey across the Dooley Downs Exploration Licence, E09/2484, which highlighted a number of magnetic and/or radiometric features resembling igneous intrusions within the Edmund Basin.
A number of ovoid magnetic features, ranging in size from 600m x 600m to 6km x 2km, have been identified in the central and south-eastern part of the Project.
The largest of the magnetic anomalies had previously been mapped as an anticline within sediments of the Edmund Basin, however the new magnetic data, along with a large radiometric anomaly, suggests the presence of a buried intrusion.
A number of smaller radiometric anomalies are seen in the southeast of the Project and are located within and/or on the margin of the intrusions interpreted from the magnetic data.
A high priority target has been identified where the strongest of the smaller radiometric anomalies is located over a circular magnetic low approximately 800m across.
The new “Eden Bore” target appears to have the “classic” carbonatite signature consisting of a central magnetic low, coincident with a Uranium and/or Thorium anomaly, surrounded by Potassium anomalism potentially related to peripheral fenite alteration.
2023 Bangemall work programmes
Miramar is planning to conduct further work at Dooley Downs in 2023, including more detailed ground geophysics and/or geochemical surveys with the aim of defining drill targets for testing.
The company completed a follow-up reconnaissance fieldtrip in late 2022 and has secured the ground immediately to the southeast with an Exploration Licence application, E08/2647.
Given the high-quality data produced from this survey, Miramar plans to fly similar detailed magnetic and radiometric surveys over its other Bangemall Project tenements once granted.
The Company is also planning mapping and sampling over the Mount Vernon target during 2023, with the aim of identifying Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation associated with Proterozoic dolerite dykes and sills.