Australian Silica Quartz Group Limited (ASQ) has applied for four tenements totalling 1,603 square kilometres in the Biranup Zone of the Albany-Fraser Orogeny located in the south-west of Western Australia.
ASQ has identified an anomalous drill hole from a 2015 mineral sands exploration program from Iluka Exploration Pty Ltd., who drilled 39 broad spaced air-core holes within the application area looking for mineral sand deposits in the overlying tertiary sediments. ASQ considers the copper, nickel and chromium results to be highly anomalous.
Previously, Anglo American Exploration (Australia) Pty Ltd conducted exploration for base metals across the area of interest including surface sampling, geophysics, air-core and RC drilling without making a significant discovery.
However, ASQ considers the application area has potential for nickel-copper magmatic sulphide mineralisation. Initial assessments suggests the basement rocks in the application area are mostly under tertiary sedimentary cover.
ASQ is presently reviewing historic exploration reports and regional open file datasets that cover the application ground to plan for initial exploration programs.
Upon gaining ground access, the company plans to conduct close-spaced air-core drilling aimed to validate the anomalous Iluka result and improve the understanding of the host geology.
It will also focus on developing an exploration strategy for the greater application area that may include opportunities to joint venture the exploration project with a ‘suitably qualified group’.
Albany Silica Sand Project
ASQ has also entered into an Exploration and Mining Access agreement (access agreement) on a property located 70 kilometres east of Albany. The property was selected following extensive desktop assessment and roadside reconnaissance over the last +18 months.
The access agreement covers an area of 189 hectares located on ASQ’s 100 per cent owned exploration licence E70/5262 and covers access for both exploration and also for mining should the project progress to development.
A land access agreement has now been lodged with the Department of Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety along with a Program of Works application for a drill program designed to define the extent and quality of silica sand present.
Drill rig availability has been confirmed and it is expected that the drilling will be completed by the end of 2020. If successful, the drilling will be followed by resource estimation and metallurgical test work.