Assays from reconnaissance drilling at the Luni prospect within the West Arunta project in Western Australia have continued to deliver significant high-grade expansion for owner WA1 Resources (ASX: WA1).
Best results of 16 metres at 2% niobium pentoxide, 8m at 1.6% niobium pentoxide and 10m at 1.9% niobium pentoxide are believed to highlight an extension of shallow, high-grade niobium mineralisation to the west and beyond a known high-grade northeast-trending corridor.
The new drillholes have confirmed continuity of the carbonatite’s shallow, high-grade blanket of mineralisation which remains open and now extends over 2 kilometres east-to-west.
One of the holes drilled in the southeast portion of the area identified deeper mineralisation interpreted to be in a fault offset position, with a best assay of 1m at 3.7% niobium pentoxide.
WA1 Resources also reported that assays from the first 100m-spaced infill drillholes demonstrated short-range continuity of the shallow high-grade zone and included 7m at 3.1% niobium pentoxide.
Over 20,000m of drilling has now been completed at Luni with a further 10,000m planned for the remainder of this year.
Promising results
Managing director Paul Savich said drilling had generated promising results for West Arunta’s development.
“It is remarkable that we are able to continue broad reconnaissance drilling at Luni and consistently return very high-grade and shallow niobium mineralisation,” he said.
“We have also identified a new high-grade target zone from step-out drilling at 120m depth in the southeast of Luni… further drilling will be completed in this area to test the potential for deeper mineralisation.”
He said new assays from within the western portion of the interpreted carbonatite will be received in the coming weeks.
Critical metal
Niobium is a critical metal with unique properties which make it an essential contributor in the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Recent developments in lithium-ion battery technology have utilised niobium to substantially reduce charge times to six minutes while enhancing battery life by up to 20,000 cycles.
Brazil currently accounts for more than 90% of global niobium production.
