24 Jan 2023

MetalsGrove Mining completes heritage survey across key Arunta Project tenements

MetalsGrove Mining Ltd (ASX:MGA) has completed a heritage survey across key tenements within the Arunta Project, 10 kilometres north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

This survey was undertaken by members of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) and covered the area comprising the Bruce, Box Hole and Edwards Creek tenements.

The Arunta Project hosts a considerable suite of REE, gold and base metal targets which will be a key focus for near-term exploration.

Arunta Tenements

“Compelling targets”

MetalsGrove managing director Sean Sivasamy said: “We would like to thank the Traditional Owners of this land for their efforts in completing this important heritage survey.

“We are pleased that the outcomes from the survey allow MetalsGrove to undertake our planned exploration programs across some advanced and highly prospective REE, gold and base metals targets at Arunta.

“Our work to date has already identified some compelling targets, with surface field mapping and rock chip sampling within the Bruce Prospect area highlighting multiple zones of mineralised pegmatites.

“We look forward to reporting further updates on activity in the near term.”

Broad conductor

In July 2022, MetalsGrove identified a broad conductor at Bruce Prospect along strike from the Plenty River mine, which is adjacent to magnetic features interpreted to be components of the pegmatite intrusion.

Consequently, a program of about 3,000 metres of RC drilling is proposed to test the bedrock conductor at Whistleduck, Plenty River and Whitehorse historical pegmatite mines in three different stages, all within the Bruce Prospect area.

At Box Hole and Edwards Creek another 3,000 meters of RC drilling is proposed to test known exploration drilling targets.

Article courtesy of Proactive

24 Jan 2023

Heritage Survey Complete at Arunta Project, Northern Territory

Critical metals exploration and development company MetalsGrove Mining Limited (ASX: MGA), (“MetalsGrove” “MGA” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that it has received the results from a recently completed Heritage Survey (“Survey”) at the Arunta Project, located 110km north of Alice Springs.

Highlights

  • Heritage survey complete across key tenements within the Arunta Project including Bruce, Box Hole and Edwards Creek
  • Arunta Project hosts a considerable suite of REE, gold and base metal targets which will be a key focus for near-term exploration
  • Heritage clearance has now been granted allowing planned work programs to commence
  • Initial program of approximately 10,000m of air core drilling will test the bedrock conductor at Whistleduck, Plenty River and Whitehorse historical pegmatite mines located within the Bruce Prospect area

The Survey was undertaken by members of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) and covered the area comprising the Bruce (EL31225), Box Hole (EL32419) and Edwards Creek (EL32420) tenements.

As previously reported (see ASX release dated 20th July 2022), MetalsGrove has identified a broad conductor at the Bruce Prospect, along strike from the Plenty River mine which is adjacent to magnetic features interpreted to be components of the pegmatite intrusion. The broad conductor has not been tested to date.

At the Bruce Prospect, a program of approximately 3,000 meters RC drilling is proposed to test the bedrock conductor at Whistleduck, Plenty River and Whitehorse historical pegmatite mines in three different stages.

At the Box Hole and Edwards Creek another 3,000 meters RC drilling is proposed to test the known exploration drilling targets.

Commenting on the completion of the heritage survey at Arunta, MetalsGrove’s Managing Director, Sean Sivasamy said:

“We would like to thank the Traditional Owners of this land for their efforts in completing this important Heritage Survey. We are pleased that the outcomes from the survey allow MetalsGrove to undertake our planned exploration programs across some advanced and highly prospective REE, gold and base metals targets at Arunta.

Our work to date has already identified some compelling targets, with surface field mapping and rock chip sampling within the Bruce Prospect area highlighting multiple zones of mineralised pegmatites. We look forward to reporting further updates on activity in the near-term.”

Arunta Project (Bruce, Edwards Creek, Box Hole Projects) – NT

The Arunta Project ~300 km by road from Alice Springs and 13 km north of the Plenty Highway (see Figure 1).

Bruce Prospect (EL 31225)

The Bruce Prospect is located within the Central Desert Region of the Northern Territory and covers an area of approximately 17,722 ha and the maximum distance across the project is about 25 km east–west and 10 km north–south.

The nearest historical mine is the inactive Harts Range garnet mine (approximately 80 km to the west-southwest) while the Molyhil tungstenmolybdenum project (Thor Mining PLC) is approximately 10 km to the northeast.

Edwards Creek Prospect (EL 32420)

The Edwards Creek polymetallic (copper-lead-zinc-gold) prospect comprises a single granted mineral exploration licence (EL32420), located approximately 85 km north-northeast of Alice Springs, NT. The tenement covers an area of approximately 7,568 ha.

Box Hole Prospect (EL32419)

The Box Hole zinc-lead, REE prospect comprises a single granted mineral exploration license (EL32419), located approximated 340 km northeast of Alice Springs, NT. The tenement covers an area of approximately 12,765 ha.

Arunta Project Location Map
Figure 1: Arunta Project Location Map
22 Aug 2022

Airborne surveys underway at MetalsGrove’s NT Arunta project; maiden drilling in Q4

KEY POINTS

  • Airborne magnetic, radiometric survey to kick off at company’s only NT asset
  • 6,000 line program to provide data on the Bruce, Box Hole and Edwards Creek prospects
  • Bruce Prospect of foremost interest; prospective for lithium, rare earths, and gold

Not long after MetalsGrove (ASX:MGA) identified a massive electromagnetic target underground at its Arunta Project, the company is now chartering helicopters to run a 6,000m airborne magnetic survey overheard. 

The main target is the Bruce Prospect, which is up first on the company’s radar for drilling upon the conclusion of the surveys commenced today. 

The Bruce Prospect is believed to contain commercial quantities of lithium, rare earths, and gold. It is located in the Central Desert Region and covers over 17,000 hectares. The nearest historical mine is the Harts Range garnet mine some 80km southwest.

Q4 Maiden drilling on the horizon

The company notes aggressive drilling at a target identified last month underneath the Bruce prospect area of interest will commence upon conclusion of the airborne survey. 

That magnetic target is believed to be related to lithium pegmatites. 

The breakdown of coverage over each of the targets makes clear where MetalsGrove’s priority lies. 

Three targets at the Arunta Project will be subject to this round of airborne surveys:

  • Bruce Prospect (3,954 line-kilometres) 
  • Box Hole Prospect (1,147 line-kilometres) 
  • Edwards Creek Prospect (872 line-kilometres) 

Drilling will take place in the fourth quarter of 2022. 

“Targeted yet aggressive:” Management 

“This survey programme will play an important role towards refining our priority drill targets for our maiden drilling programme,” MetalsGrove MD Sean Sivasamy said.

“Our team has already completed significant work highlighting strong potential at Bruce.” 

MetalsGrove is having a busy month so far, with the company flying an airborne survey over its WA Woodie Woodie acreage at the start of August. That project is prospective for manganese, another battery metal alongside lithium. 

Isn’t MetalsGrove a lithium explorer? 

Yes, it is. But the same reasons driving enthusiasm for copper, nickel, and silver, are also playing out in manganese exploration markets. 

Last year, Livewire Markets went so far as to describe manganese as the ‘next hot battery metal.’ 

Manganese is also a valuable alloy for steelmakers. While pricing for the metal is somewhat opaque, Chinese metal market information provider SMM notes prices at many benchmarks sit above US$2,000 a tonne. 

This reflects a tenfold increase for prices since 2014, when a commodities glut caused many operations to be mothballed. 

And lithium prices, of course, remain some 350% higher than this time last year. 

Existing survey data interpreted into a visual image from existing magnetic information at Arunta. The red like that extends beneath the  historical Plenty River mine is what MGA has its eye on; the target is believed to be lithium pegmatite.

Existing survey data interpreted into a visual image from existing magnetic information at Arunta. The red like that extends beneath the historical Plenty River mine is what MGA has its eye on; the target is believed to be lithium pegmatite.

Article Courtesy of Market Index