Anson begins drilling two high priority targets – Ethel Maude and the Surprise historical workings at the Ajana project
The Ajana project is in an established zinc, lead and silver mining province
Ajana has seen very little modern exploration and represents a significant exploration opportunity
Anson has begun drilling across two high-priority targets at the Ajana project targeting highly prospective lead-zinc-copper-silver mineralised areas which have been defined from geological mapping programs.
Anson’s (ASX:ASN) main game is developing a world class lithium brines operation in the US via its advanced Paradox and Green River projects in Utah.
But in its portfolio are a handful of other promising projects including Ajana, a significant exploration opportunity within a proven and established mining province for lead, silver, and zinc about 130km north of Geraldton in WA.
The explorer’s ground – untouched by modern exploration – is dominated by the Northampton Metamorphic Complex with Ajana containing several historic copper, lead and silver producing mines that date back to 1850.
ASN has now commenced reverse circulation drilling under and along strike of these existing pits and mine shafts in the areas approved for exploration including the Mary Springs tenement which holds a 390,000t resource grading 6.5% lead.
The company believes further drilling may enable the zinc, copper and silver bearing zones to be modelled as part of a future resource.
Drilling to test two high-priority targets
Ethel Maude is the first drill target ASN is focusing on.
The target represents strong resource potential as it is open to the north, east, west and down dip with drilling to target high-grade zinc, lead and silver mineralisation.
A drill rig at the Ethel Maude Mine, collecting samples for assay. Pic via ASN
ASN’s drilling program will then move on to the Surprise historical workings where drilling will target a group of prospects on the project’s eastern side for high-grade lead, copper, and silver.
The Surprise mine is the largest and most northerly of its group. Six lodes were worked in an intensely crushed and fractured zone, described as an in-echelon offset of a north-north-westerly trending fault.
Most of the known prospects within the Ajana Project area have been identified along north-east trending dolerite dykes and are “in-echelon” type (parallel formation) deposits, similar to the historic Mary Springs mine.
These areas have been defined from geological mapping programs carried out on targets that had previously been identified by VTEM geophysical survey and soil sampling programs.
Exploration to ‘unlock target areas’
While historic mining has been undertaken at the Ethel Maude, Surprise, Geraldine South and Mary Springs mines, much of the area is under explored – with little or no exploration drilling.
Plan showing the locations of the proposed drill targets in the Surprise area. Pic via ASN
Mining records date back to the 1850’s, but it is noted that the mining focused on known mineralisation discovered due to its outcropping nature at surface and by geological mapping of underground mines by sight.
Drilling in the Ajana region is generally scarce with most of the drilling carried out at the Mary Springs lead deposit, immediately along strike of the targeted mineralised prospects.
Very limited regional drilling has been completed to test existing geochemical and/or geophysical anomalies, which presents an opportunity for Anson to unlock the targets areas’ exploration potential with its exploration programs.
Plan of the Ethen Maude mine geology and the locations of the shafts. Pic via ASN
This article was developed in collaboration with Anson Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
The post For lithium-focused Anson, the historical Ajana zinc-lead-silver project is just too good not to drill appeared first on Stockhead.
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