Moho Resources Limited (ASX: MOH) has commenced air core drilling across E70/4688, E70/5300 and E70/5154 at the Burracoppin REE and Gold Project in Western Australia.
The primary objective of this drill programme is to provide a “proof of concept” for accumulations of ionic clay Rare Earth Elements (REE) within drainage channels previously delineated by Moho.
Recent geochemical evaluation of assays generated from project-wide soil surveys and drilling at the Crossroads gold prospect have identified elevated Total Rare Earth Elements (TREE) in both surface and downhole data. The evaluation identified several areas with elevated levels of Dysprosium and Neodymium and highlighted potential drainage channels as being prospective for REE accumulation.
The current air core drilling programme comprises 39 drillhole locations for about 2,000m and has the following objectives:
Generation of drill targets utilised a combination of interpreted drainage channels and surface geochemical and airborne magnetic data but was restricted to properties with signed land access and compensation agreements. Hole spacing varies between 100m – 400m.
These previously reported channels being targeted in the AC program have been identified by Moho’s consulting geochemist, Richard Carver. The drainage channel on E70/4688 coincides with an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) anomaly, the data for which was acquired by the company in 2018.
The AEM survey maps the electrical conductivity of the subsurface, which can be modelled to infer clay thickness. Where the electrical conductivity is high, it can indicate layers containing salt water or those which are clay rich or potentially contain sulphide mineralisation. The air core programme has been designed as a first pass to test the channel visible in the AEM data for REE values. The channel extends for 16km through E70/4688 and is 4.5km at its widest, covering approximately 31.8 sq. km.
Gold Targets
Approximately 23 holes have been designed to test previously identified soil gold anomalies for bedrock mineralisation across E70/5154 and E70/53003.
The soil gold anomalism is coincident with elevated arsenic values and is proximal to shearing and folding which is evident in aeromagnetic data acquired by the company. Moho believes that the coincident gold-arsenic anomalism could be related to sulphide mineralisation in the underlying bedrock.
The northern >8 ppb gold anomaly (T1) is also coincident with elevated Neodymium and Dysprosium which may be sourced from the numerous outcropping and sub-cropping granitic units. The multi-element analysis of drilling samples will also test if there is REE mineralisation and the depth extent.