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Highlights
- OzAurum Resources identifies widespread niobium at Salitre Project.
- Soil sampling reveals significant anomalies, supporting further exploration.
- Diamond drilling planned to test niobium-rich carbonatite intrusion theory.
OzAurum Resources Ltd (ASX:OZM) has identified significant niobium in soil samples at its Salitre Project in Brazil, marking a key development as the company gets ready for diamond drilling. The discovery is located in a 1-square-kilometre area at Target 1, where the company recorded anomalous niobium readings that reinforce their exploration model.
Target 1 consists of a series of ultraviolet (UV) anomalies spread across a 400-metre-long arc in a deep red soil profile. OzAurum collected a total of 69 soil samples on nine east-west soil traverses, maintaining a spacing of 100 metres between samples. These samples were taken from approximately 20 centimetres below the surface, revealing peak niobium levels of 271 ppm. Additionally, total rare earth oxide (TREO) concentrations reached 979 ppm, found adjacent to the cluster of UV anomalies, which were accompanied by gamma radiation readings as high as 435 counts per second (CPS) — about ten times higher than the background levels typically observed in the area.
These findings also revealed coincident anomalism in other elements such as tantalum, hafnium, and thorium, which follow the same pattern as niobium. These high-field-strength elements, including niobium, are generally immobile in the regolith profile, suggesting that a niobium-rich carbonatite intrusion could be the source of the anomalies. This strongly supports OzAurum’s ongoing exploration model that targets niobium-rich carbonatite intrusions.
As part of its next steps, OzAurum is preparing to begin diamond drilling at Target 1. The plan includes two diamond drill holes, each reaching a depth of approximately 200 metres. The company’s own diamond drilling rig and crew are already on standby, awaiting environmental approval, which is expected to be granted within two weeks. Once approved, the drilling campaign will commence, providing the next phase of data on the project.
The Salitre Project, along with the nearby Catalao project, is located in the Alto Paranaba Magmatic Province (APMP), an area responsible for producing 97% of the world’s niobium, all of which is hosted in carbonatite intrusions. The project sits adjacent to the Salitre and Serra Negra carbonatite complexes, which host considerable niobium and phosphate mineral resources. The nearby Salitre carbonatite is currently mined as an open-pit operation, producing phosphate that also contains niobium and rare earth elements.
This recent discovery and the upcoming diamond drilling could provide crucial insights into the potential of the Salitre Project, aligning with the company's larger exploration strategy in this niobium-rich region.
