Western Australia’s Pilbara is one of the world’s top mining regions with companies like MetalsGrove working on various projects to establish a golden future in the area.
The Pilbara has long since been associated with iron ore, gold and copper mineralisation as well as nickel and chrome deposits.
MetalsGrove’s Upper Coondina project focuses on the mining and exploration of lithium, tin and tantalum (Green Metals).
Upper Coondina – Lithium Tin and Tantalum Project
Location
The Upper Coondina project is located within the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The Project is located approximately halfway between the major mining regional service centres of Port Hedland and Newman, approximately 200 km northwest and 180 km south-southeast of the project, respectively.
The Project comprises a tenement covering an area of approximately 6,363 ha. Nearby mines include the Mt Webber (Atlas Iron Pty Ltd) iron ore mine (approximately 35 km to the north-northwest) and the Cloudbreak (Fortescue Metals Group Limited) iron ore mine (approximately 50 km to the south).
Figure-1 Western Australia Tenement Location Plan
Previous Exploration and Mineralisation
The greater Shaw Tin Field has attracted exploration interest since the discovery of tin in 1890 however most of the exploration and subsequent mining of tin and tantalum has been on the small scale.
The Shaw Tin Field, which has historically produced more than 6,500 t of tin in concentrate, has attracted exploration interest since the discovery of tin in 1890. Most of the exploration and subsequent mining of tin and tantalum has been on the small scale.
In 1968, Marble Bar Nickel carried out a rock chip sampling programme covering tenement E45/3699 of the current Hillside CRG (A1714).
A 1972 stream sediment sampling programme by Anglo American Services Limited targeting Ni-Cu mineralisation identified a copper anomaly in ultramafics and pillow basalts and another in altered gabbro, both of which were subsequently found to be insignificant.
In early 1968, the field was largely abandoned after the shallow deposits were soon exhausted. Towards the end of 1968, a local resident discovered further cassiterite mineralisation in cemented alluvium within a largely concealed Tertiary drainage channel.
In 1983, CSR Limited explored for economic secondary concentrations of tin and tantalum in the area. Their exploration program included follow-up on radiometric anomalies, stream sediment sampling and geological mapping. No discrete localities of anomalous tin could be identified. CSR Limited identified simple pegmatite veins as the sources of the tin.
Refer to the Independent Geologist’s Report at Annexure A for further details with respect to the previous exploration on the Upper Coondina Project.
Exploration Prospects
No dedicated lithium-focussed exploration has been carried out within the project area. The Company considers that the untested magnetic anomaly highlighted in Figures 2 and 3 warrants follow-up exploration to determine its source. Priority target areas identified by MetalsGrove are shown in Figure 4.
Conclusion
The discovery of new substances paves the way for various projects under MetalsGrove Mining as new technology continues to be leveraged for mining opportunities. Using electric vehicles, drilling and autonomous trucks, more discoveries and opportunities will be paved for Australia’s mineral and mining industry.