Labyrinth Resources is ramping up its mineral exploration program at its Comet Vale gold project in Western Australia, following a historical data report which revealed the presence of minerals such as gold, lithium and nickel.
The preliminary field work will follow up historical data which revealed the presence of pegmatites and indicators of lithium prospectivity and follow on from preliminary work done by Labyrinth. Nickel, copper and gold occurrences across the package are well documented, but the full potential has not been tested.
Labyrinth Resources’s CEO, Jennifer Neild, outlined the following as beneficial to compile for the Comet Vale project:
- Non-digital drilling data
- Geophysical surveys
- Structural mapping
- Soil/rock chip sampling
Methodology recently completed at Comet Vale highlighted several gold, nickel, copper and cobalt anomalies that needed confirmation and that have not been previously looked at by the company.
The review established that very limited drilling has been conducted below 50m and that the project area has been exposed to virtually no modern exploration techniques.
The open pit and underground Resources at Comet Vale stand at 39,477oz at 3.3g/t and 56,233oz at 7.0g/t respectively.
Ms Neild said, “There are numerous significant historical workings along well-established gold trends which extend for several kilometres. But these workings remain very poorly tested below surface which is likely the result of having too much choice.
“Of particular interest is the ‘Rambo Trend’, which comprises a number of gold occurrences and is represented by a 2.3km gravity anomaly. This anomalous trend runs parallel to the Sovereign Trend which hosts the existing resource. At the southern end exists a substantial nickel/chromium anomaly supported by nickel intercepts.”
Ms Neild said the Comet Vale ground was also highly prospective for nickel sulphides, REEs and LCT pegmatites, with almost no work done to explore for these commodities.
To the north, Ardea Resources has focused on EIS holes on its highway nickel sulphide drilling. The same target stratigraphy exists at Comet Vale where elevated nickel, cobalt and copper are common. Ardea also commissioned a CSA study which showed LCT prospectivity to the north and south of Comet Vale.
In light of this potential, Labyrinth has started a program of reconnaissance field work to validate historic occurrences and confirm targets.
Key outcomes of increasing exploration include:
- Mapping geology including veins of pegmatitic material and locating historic references to dykes at gold prospects
- Structural mapping, confirming fault orientations and timing relationships with gold bearing veins
- Confirming nickel/chromium trends which help identify nickel sulphide prospectivity
- Confirmation of historic drill holes not currently in database
- Environmental monitoring and rehabilitation work
- Delineating prospects of highest potential for future work
