We are excited to announce that Ark Mines Ltd (ASX: AHK) has recently completed the acquisition of the ‘Sandy Mitchell’ rare earths project, a valuable opportunity situated in Far North Queensland, Australia. This project, well-advanced and particularly promising, uniquely boasts both light and heavy rare earths, the latter of which includes several high-value elements.
A vast amount of historical work has been conducted at the ‘Sandy Mitchell’ site, owing to its sandy nature that hosts the Rare Earths Elements. Over 100 augur drill holes have been completed, accompanied by sediment and stream sampling, and a great deal of pan concentrates. These collective efforts have granted us a clear picture of the project’s grade.
In 2010, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) carried out an in-depth mineral analysis using Qemscan, which concluded that the Rare Earths at ‘Sandy Mitchell’ were derived from Monazite and Xenotime. This historical work, along with the results from drilling and sampling, is currently being meticulously reviewed by our team at Ark to formulate a first-time mineral resource estimate for the project.
Despite the ongoing review, our team at Ark has strong confidence in the previous exploration efforts. Thus, we have decided to move forward with the application for a Mining Licence. This strategic step would enable us to establish a cost-effective gravity separation and processing operation right on site. Furthermore, considering the project’s prospective nature and historical data, we have initiated applications for 46 subblocks covering an area of 138km around the project.
Given that pan concentrates are the most accurate measure of Rare Earths Elements in sands, our team is planning comprehensive panning around already defined high-grade concentrates.
We managed to secure 100% ownership of the ‘Sandy Mitchell’ project under favourable terms, acquiring it for A$200,000 cash. This became possible due to the previous owner’s declining interest in further exploration and development of the asset.
At Ark, we believe that ‘Sandy Mitchell’ offers us an extraordinary opportunity. It aligns seamlessly with our strategic focus on projects within stable, Tier 1 jurisdictions that hold the potential for near-term, low-cost mining operations.
“Sandy Mitchell stands out with compelling geology and its amenability to a straightforward gravity separation processing. We are making steady progress in reviewing the historical data, and our follow-up exploration will likely focus on defining more pan concentrates across various areas of the tenement,” said our Executive Chairman, Roger Jackson.
Reflecting our confidence in ‘Sandy Mitchell’, we have already begun preliminary discussions with potential customers who are setting up processing operations in Australia. An interesting aspect of our project is the potential extraction of higher-priced Heavy Rare Earths Elements, which have been consistently reported in past evaluations. This aspect, in particular, increases ‘Sandy Mitchell’s’ commercial appeal.
We are eager to get started with additional pan concentrates to develop our geological models. We also promise a regular stream of updates to keep our stakeholders informed about our progress.
In addition to ‘Sandy Mitchell’, we are concurrently advancing our other Queensland assets, particularly the Gunnawarra Nickel Project. We are committed to keeping our shareholders fully informed about our progress on these ventures.
The Gunnawarra Project area is approximately 130km south-south-west of Cairns, 108km south-south-west of Mareeba and 214km north-west of Townsville, an approved Cobalt and Nickel export port. Access is readily available via the Kennedy Highway from Mareeba and then via the Gunnawarra Road, a formed and graded council road. Gunnawarra Station has a rural airfield. Several tracks dissect the project area giving good vehicle access to most of the tenement. The project lies adjacent to and overlays tenements associated with Australian Mines Limited Sconi Cobalt-Nickel-Scandium project.
The climate of the area is sub-tropical, being warm and dry in winter and hot and wet in summer. Two thirds of the rainfall occurs between December and March. The mean annual rainfall recorded at Mt Garnet is 781mm. The average maximum daily temperature ranges from 21⁰C to 35⁰C.
Vegetation across the Gunnawarra project areas is mapped as predominantly Category B Remnant vegetation with some areas of Category X Vegetation. Approximately 50% of the vegetation on site at EPM 26560 consists of RE 9.5.5a/9.5.6a considered least concern under the Vegetation Management Act, the remainder being a mix of Res 9.11.26a, 9.5.8, 9.8.4, 9.8.1 and 9.3.10a. Open woodland that is both sparse and mid-dense consisting of Corymbia clarksoniana, Eucalyptus leptophleba, Eucalyptus portuensis, E.cebra and Corymbia citriodora. At EPM 26599 the dominant vegetation consists of RE 9.11.5, sparse woodland of Eucalyptus persistens, and E. crebra with a sub canopy of Carissa lanceolata and Acacia spp. Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass) and Heteropogon triticeus (giant spear grass) are the main grass species.
The topography is generally gently undulating sitting between the 720m and 620m contours and forms part of a Tertiary laterite land surface. The land surface is in an advanced state of dissection with the laterite capping having been partially stripped off, revealing scattered low hills and small ranges of pre-tertiary rocks. The area contains a variety of physiographic features including hills, small ranges, mesas, plateaus and valleys.
The Gunnawarra Project consists of EPM 26560 located 30km south of Mt Garnet in Far North Queensland and EPM 26599, 17 km south of Greenvale both of which are held by Ark Mines Ltd. was granted on 24th November 2017 for a period of two years and a renewal has been lodged; EPM 26599 was granted on 24th November 2018 also for a period of two years. Since grant, exploration work has concentrated on EPM 26560 and has comprised of site visits, localised sampling (returning anomalous Platinum and Palladium confirming the potential Sulphide extension), assay work and desk top research, table 1.
Ark Mines Ltd. Gunnawarra (GW)
Surface Sample highlights (July 2018) include;
GW105 – Cobalt – 4430ppm
GW101 – Nickel – 14,350ppm
GW87 – Copper – 2320ppm
GW87 – Scandium – 60ppm
GW107 – Chromite – 13,500ppm
GW105 – Manganese – 228,000ppm
Table 1. Surface Sample Highlights EPM 26560
The region has a long mining history predominantly nickel, cobalt, gold, tin and zinc and is part of the Greenvale Nickel Province which produced some $7 billion of nickel and cobalt between 1974 and 1992. Mining is still active in the area with Consolidated Tin operating the Surveyor Mine near Mt Garnet.
With the demand for electric vehicles increasing and the need for improved batteries, the ability to securesupply of both Cobalt and Nickel will be paramount in the future. Electrical vehicle sales are predicted to account for 30% of all new vehicle sales by 2025. Nickel and Cobalt account for the majority of the metals used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries and sufficient future supply is likely to be challenging.
Significantly EPM 26560 forms the centre, and is adjacent to, Australian Mines’ Sconi Cobalt Project at Bell Creek, now at more advanced stage of development with feasibility studies being finalised and currently the most advanced Cobalt-Nickel – Scandium Project in Australia. Ark Mines Ltd. Gunnawarra Project therefore holds a strategic position. Similarly EPMA 26599 lies directly south of the Sconi Greenvale Project and holds potential for considerable deposits being the extension of the Greenvale Nickel belt.
1.Tenements
EPM 26560 comprises 11 sub-blocks covering 36km². The tenement sits within pastoral lands lease Gunnawarra Station and cattle grazing is the dominant land use. The underlying tenure has extinguished native title and is therefore 100% exclusive of Native Title.
EPM 26599 comprises 8 sub-blocks covering 24km2. This tenement straddles three pastoral holdings, Porphyry Creek Holding, Wade Holding and Shield Creek Holding all of which are pastoral land leases. The underlying tenure is currently subject to Metallica Minerals and QLD Gold Pty Ltd ILUA.
2. Regional Geology
The project lies in the eastern most part of the Georgetown inlier in the Greenvale sub province close to the Palmerville Fault Zone. Carboniferous to Upper Permian post tectonic granite emplacement and acid volcanism is associated with the major regional structural feature.
3.Local Geology
Geology specific to site consists of these pre-Cambrian Halls Reward metamorphic rocks overlain by the Sandalwood Serpentinite (Proterozoic injections) and intruded by the Gunnawarra Bump Granite (pale pinkish, medium-grained porphyritic biotite monzogranite) in the late Carboniferous to early Permian. These rocks are buried by the Pleistocene vesicular to massive olivine “Depression” Basalt forming the northern and western margins of the area peripheral to Bell Creek and are largely obscured by late tertiary to Quaternary lateritic soils and alluvium.
The Sandalwood Serpentinite forms four outcrops of low topographical highs within EPM 26560, and trends north-west, south of Bell Creek. These are superficially separated by alluvium and/or lateritic clays. At Greys Creek in EPMA 26599, narrow serpentinite belts are associated with the Greys Creek Ultramafic Complex.
Deep chemical weathering during the Cainozoic caused the formation of a laterite profile which, where developed over the ultramafic units, contain enhanced nickel and cobalt values. Nickel enrichment >1% is concentrated both in layers in a ferruginous pisolithic laterite found in depressions adjacent to the Serpentinite outcrop and in the underlying weathered Serpentinite. The duricrust varies in depth up to 5m thick. Magnesite is commonly present in the lower parts of the duricrust. The duricrust is underlain either by hard, barren silicified Serpentinite or locally deeply weathered Serpentinite, the latter probably developed along fracture zones.
Previous exploration, by Metallic Minerals, of the area encompassing the Gunnawarra Project (EPM 26560) demonstrated strong magnetic signatures being displayed generally as magnetic highs with associated dipole lows. A hole drilled into the anomaly in 1982 intersected Norite. Norite occurs with mafic and ultramafic rocks in layered intrusions and has been associated with the Sudbury Basin complex in Ontario, the world’s second largest nickel mining region.
Previous exploration at Greenvale identified hard rock chromite and nickel mineralisation. Here the Halls Reward Metamorphics and the Grey Creek Complex of gabbros, dialogite and serpentinites form the oldest units being Proterozoic. The structure and metamorphism is complex. Ordovician Donaldson Well Volcanics are overlain by arenites and mudstones which in turn is intruded by the Saddington Tonalite. Carboniferous conglomerates, arkose, shales and limestone of the Clarke River Formation overlie. Cainozoic deposits including the basalts and partially lithified sand and gravels over much of the area and include the tertiary laterisation responsible for the Greenvale nickel deposits.
4. Mineralisation
Comparison can be drawn between this project and the historical Greenvale mine, both being in the Greenvale Nickel Province, which produced 40Mt (dry) of nickel cobalt ore from 1974 – 1992. The deposit is reported as producing approximately $7 billion worth of nickel and cobalt metal over an 18 year period. The ore was mined in a 3km² area to an average depth of only 20m.
Previous exploration has established the existence of potentially economically viable high-grade Nickel and Cobalt deposits within the EPMs and surrounding area. Analysis by Austin Anderson (Australia) Pty Ltd of rock samples indicated high values of Nickel and Cobalt occurring in the ultrabasics with a high Ni: Co ration of 20:1. Specifically Metallica Minerals Ltd reported a measured and indicated resource of 14.49 million tonnes in the Bell Creek area. Metallica Minerals had planned to mine the deposits directly west of the Gunnawarra Homestead and within the current EPM held by Ark Mines Ltd.
At Bell Creek, Metallica reported the ultramafic bodies being deeply weathered to form nickel laterites as part of the Sandalwood Serpentinite intruded along north-north-east trending faults. The nickel mineralisation was considered to occur throughout the laterite profile. Limonitic ores lying above the saprolite zone were generally found to have high grade cobalt with the saprolite zone generally containing high magnesium and iron along with high nickel value. Out crops of laterite occur across a strike distance of some 2.5 km with an inferred resource of 3.31 Mt for 23,110 tonnes of contained Ni metal and 1324 tonnes of Cobalt. Metallica Minerals, through the wholly owned subsidiary Qld Gold Pty Ltd, prepared an IAS for submission in which they proposed the mining of three pits in the Bell Creek Northwest Prospect describing isolated outcrops of laterite over a strike distance of 2.5 km and covering 26 hectares.
Reported mineralisation appears to be confirmed by the first pass sampling regime carried out by Ark Mines Ltd in 2018. Random surface hand samples were taken from sites in the north-west of EPM 26560, figures 1 and 2. These have been assayed returning upwards of 0.8% Ni and anomalous Co to 0.07%.
In the alteration sequence, two distinct types of laterite are formed. The recognition of residual textures in these forms provides an indication of the ore grade in the underlying sulphide body, and as a result further exploration is now in progress. Diagnostic features of Ni-Co-Cu gossans include:
High Ni-Co-Cu
High Pd-Pt
Variable Co-As
Low Cr-Mn-Zn-Pb
Gossans, capping non-nickeliferous sulphides, Ironstones and representing laterised sulphides, which can generally be distinguished by:
Low Cu-Ni/high Zn and
High Ni-Cr-Mn and low Cu respectively
Even siliceous nickel gossans generally retain some characteristics or geochemical “signatures” of their diluted metal contents. Given the high-grade Anomaly these samples represent a probable sulphide body at depth. Ark mines Ltd. are very encouraged by the latest results therefore have extended their exploration program.
Within in the area of the Greenvale EPM26599 held by Ark Mines Ltd., rock chip samples have returned some highly anomalous results from Serpentinites with significant mineralisation for Nickel, Chromite and Vanadium from previous historic surface samples.
Greenvale EPM26599 area Highlights from Surface Samples
Nickel – 3480ppm
Cobalt – 257ppm
Vanadium – 764ppm
Chromite – >10,000ppm
Table 3. Surface Sample Highlights EPM 26599
Due to the significant mineralisation present in the rock chip samples at Greenvale, Ark Mines Ltd. have allocated a budget for further exploration to be carried out in H2 of 2018.
The project holds a strategic position sandwiched between tenements held by Australian Mines Ltd.’s Sconi Project at Gunnawarra and the Greenvale project along with Superior Resources nickel-cobalt project. Both of which are considered highly prospective for economic values of nickel and cobalt. Further exploration including targeted drilling would need to be competed to delineate the resource and confirm historical work carried out by Metallica Minerals Ltd.
5. Previous Exploration
On Gunnawarra Station a small tongue magnesite deposit was mined from a weathered and laterised serpentinite and two tungsten occurrences are known to be present in the immediate area. At the turn of the century 70 ounces of gold was produced from a mine located on the property.
In the 1970’s A.O. Australia Pty Ltd, holders of AP671 and 1289M, conducted 91 percussion drill holes for 2000m, a series of costeans and a representative bulk sample. A.O. concluded that the four outcrops were probably continuous based on a magnetic survey and the results of the percussion drilling. A.O. lodged two mining lease applications across the lateritic nickel deposits. From exploration in Area 1, which coincides with EPM 26560, the company concluded an inferred reserve for the Gunnawarra area to be estimated at 23.7 million short tons (21.5 metric tonnes) grading 1.05% Ni using a 0.5% Ni cut off or 10.8 million (9.8) tons grading 1.55% Ni using a 1% Ni cut off comprising as follows:
Northern
9.4 million short tons (8.4) grading 0.93% Ni (0.5% Ni cut off).
2.6 million short tons (23.6) grading 1.81% Ni (1.0% Ni cut off).
Southern
13.3 million short tons (12.06) grading 1.15% Ni (0.5% Ni cut off).
7.8 million short tons (1) grading 1.46% (1.0% cut off).
North western
1.1 million short tons grading 1.15% (0.5% cut off.)
0.4 million short tons (0.36) grading 1.33% Ni (1.0% cut off.)
The company further reported grades and thicknesses of nickel mineralisation varying from 0.5% to 3.5% and 1.5 to 21 metres thick respectively.
CRA explored the area in the 1990s primarily for supergene magnesite and gold and finding nothing prospective relinquished the area. However in 1995, Renison Ltd carried out exploration activities seeking gold on EPM 10235, including reconnaissance mapping, regional rock chip sampling and investigation of previous exploration.
Renison considered the area prospective for breccia hosted gold deposits similar to Mt Leyshon and Kidston hidden underneath transported alluvium and residually developed regolith. The EPM was assigned to Metallica Minerals Ltd in 1997 and formed part of the Nornico Project.
Metallica Minerals Ltd expressed confidence in the presence of mine level deposits of high-grade lateritic nickel-cobalt which they planned to process on site using acid leach metallurgical processes to produce metal concentrates for sale domestically and on the international market. This Nornico Project included areas under the current EPM held by Ark mines Ltd.
The Nornico/Sconi Project also encompassed “Bell Creek” EPM 11285 and EPM 14101 (now EPM 26560) and the Mining leases 4187 and 4188 (now ML20549) concentrating on identified “substantial” nickel-cobalt resources. This EPM mirrors that held by Ark Mines Ltd. and the subject of this report.
In December 2017 Metallica Minerals Ltd sold 100% of the Sconi Project to Australian Mines Limited who have since moved to development of the project.
The Mount Jesse Iron with Copper project consists of one exploration permit (EPM 26464), which is located ~176km from Cairns in far-north Queensland.
The project covers three exposed iron formation occurrences, the main one of these occurs layered over fractured granodiorite. The iron formations are massive and homogenous, composed of hematite and magnetite, with strong magnetism. Associated with the Iron is a copper carbonate occurrence (malachite and bornite), in fractured plains.
The project is centered on a copper rich magnetite skarn which potentially is associated with porphyry style mineralisation within a granodiorite. The mineralisation appears to sit above the granite and hug the contacts between the granite and Chillagoe formation as seen at the nearby Mt Lucy deposit. The main area of mineralisation (Mount Cardwell mine) is situated on a small hill and contains zones of strong magnetite (which has been oxidised in places to haematite) with associated copper to a lesser extent. The copper occurs as malachite however it would have originally been a sulphide species that has been oxidised as the malachite predominantly occurs in fractures in the mineralised zones.
2. Local Geology
The local geology is centred on the “Claret Creek ring Structure” which caps the permo – Carboniferous granite which underlies the Jesse project. The ring structures are surrounded by younger late carboniferous granites.
Slivers of Silurian sediments are representative of the remnant country rock, make up a minor portion of the exposed outcrop, the majority of the project is masked by quaternary cover. Hydrothermal fluids have reacted with Silurian limestone / limey sediments to produce magnetite skarn +/- base metal deposits in a number of localities (e.g. Mt Cardwell workings & Jean Prospect).
Mineralisation
The mineralisation encountered at Jesse consists of iron and copper and occurs in the Chillagoe formation as seen at Mt Lucy and Mt Paddy. The mineralisation is hosted in a skarn deposit with an intrusive granite intruding a sedimentary body (Chillagoe formation) and causing contact metamorphism and depositing iron and in places copper where conditions/ lithology are favourable.
The mineralisation appears to sit above the granite and hug the contacts between the granite and Chillagoe formation as seen at the Mt Lucy deposit. The main area of mineralisation (Mount Cardwell mine) is situated on a small hill and contains zones of strong magnetite (which has been oxidised in places to haematite) with associated copper to a lesser extent. The copper occurs as malachite however it would have originally been a sulphide species that has been oxidised as the malachite predominantly occurs in fractures in the mineralised zones.
Lam et al 1988 lists the Mount Cardwell mine (the main area of mineralisation at Jesse) as producing 1500t of skarn ore at 1% Cu and 10g/t Ag from 1904 to 1908. Company report 64480 by Intermet lists the ore minerals for Mount Cardwell as chalcopyrite and bornite with minor galena, sphalerite and silver ores.
The mineralisation at the Mount Cardwell mine is constrained by granite which is visible on all sides of the small hill. Several other small lenses of mineralisation can be seen to the west of Mount Cardwell where the Chillagoe formation has not been eroded or completely destroyed by the granite intrusives. There is a strong correlation between the copper and the iron mineralisation, however, they do not always occur together and it is likely that the copper is only seen in zones that endured higher temperatures.
Multiple pits (of various sizes and depths), diggings and workings exist on the EPM. The pits and workings west of the Mount Cardwell mine would have most likely been searching for further zones of copper enrichment within the Chillagoe formation. The Chillagoe formation can be seen further to the west of the Mount Cardwell mineralisation however the mineralisation was found to dissipate on the surface after approximately 800m of non-continuous small poddy outcrops.
3. Previous Exploration
The Cardwell copper deposit, which was mined in the late 19th Century comprises small open cuts, two shafts and an adit. These provided access to a skarn style deposit rich in chalcopyrite and bornite with minor galena, sphalerite and silver ores. Work at the mine was relatively short lived, with closure of the mine in the early 20th century due to carriage costs and low metal prices.
The Mt. Cardwell Copper Deposit contains a 90m long magnetite–hematite copper-stained gossan averaging nine metres in width sited above the old workings. Copper has been observed on ground surface in stockwork fracturing and sheeted quartz veins within skarn altered metasediments and fractionated acidic intrusives, as well as on the iron rich gossan. Additional iron +/- copper gossan outcrop has been mapped for some 380m along strike to the west from the old workings.
Historical soil and rock-chip sampling undertaken by InterMet Resources in 2007 encountered copper value up to 20.9%, with an anomalous copper zone identified over an area of 170m by 40m across the summit of a hill within the permit. Additionally, InterMet uncovered gold grades up to 3g/t.
InterMet carried out geophysical surveys at Mount Jesse (including ground-based magnetic and gravity surveys), which highlighted a north-east striking magnetic high which was used to target first pass drilling at the project. InterMet drilled 10 reverse circulation holes between 2008 and 2011, with drilling identifying areas of elevated iron ore (up to 22.65%) and copper (up to 2.11%).
Coincidently circa 3.5 km to the South East of Mt Jesse, Tableland Mining Group are now in the final stages of a significant drill program targeting 8-9MT of iron ore. TMG plan to mine and produce a high-grade iron ore concentrate targeting 66-68% Fe grade.
4. Exploration Potential
Mt Jesse has excellent upside potential given it has a exposed iron knobs clearly sitting within a magnetic high that runs under cover for some hundreds of meters. Further to this Mt Jesse sits 3.5km Northwest of the Tableland Mining Group Iron Ore project, which is being developed as a high grade Iron project with proposed production to commence imminently.
5. Infrastructure
Location:
Mount Jesse EPM 26464 is located approximately 176km from Cairns (164km from Cairns to Mt Garnet and a further 12km from Mt Garnet to Cardwell Station).
Port:
Port Infrastructure in place with a purpose-built ship loader conveyor system.
Mount Jesse is situated approximately 120km from the Mourilyan Harbour (bulk shipping) just south of the North Queensland coastal town of Innisfail.
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Experts believe the precious metal will remain an attractive asset regardless of what the Federal Reserve does with monetary policy.”
The Pluton gold project has significant potential to provide Ark Mines with a solid return on investment and is worth looking at closely. Please find below the Pluton Gold Project Presentation and contact us if you require any further information.
