St George Mining (ASX: SGQ) has announced exciting new targets – including potential carbonatites and mafic intrusions – following further exploration at the 100%-owned Destiny project, in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.
St George has completed a gravity survey program over six prominent magnetic features interpreted to be late-stage intrusions within the Destiny project. The survey results confirm four of the six magnetic features have a high-gravity signature, raising the exciting potential for them to be intrusions such as carbonatites or mafic intrusions – intrusive types known globally to host either niobium (Nb) and rare earths elements (REE) or nickel-copper-PGE mineralisation.
Four of the magnetic features are circular-shaped, from 0.9km to 2.7km in diameter, and were identified by the detailed magnetic survey flown by St George in late 2023. The interpretation of the targets as prospective intrusives is supported by proximity to the Ida Fault, a regional-scale crustal suture that could represent a conduit for intrusions – and evidence of major structural disruption of the greenstone/granite belt surrounding the interpreted intrusions.
At least two of the features at Destiny have characteristics similar to known mineralised carbonatites in Western Australia – including the Mt Weld project of Lynas Rare Earths (ASX: LYC) and the Luni carbonatite of WA1 Resources (ASX: WA1) – which present as distinctive geophysical features along major crustal structures.
St George’s recent drilling along strike south of the interpreted intrusions has already confirmed clay-hosted high-grade REE mineralisation associated with the Ida Fault and across a strike of more than 10km, with the mineralisation open in all directions. No effective historic drilling has tested the coincident magnetic/gravity features, presenting exciting drill targets for niobium and REE in any potential alkaline intrusive and nickel-copper-PGEs in any potential late-stage mafic intrusions.
“As part of the systematic exploration of the Destiny project, a gravity survey was recently completed to assess the density characteristics of six discrete magnetic features, none of which has been drilled,” executive chairman John Prineas said.
“The survey indicated that four of the six magnetic features presented as ‘gravity highs’ – a combination that is common for mafic intrusions and carbonatites. Significantly, these features are within a major structural corridor close to the Ida Fault – a major crustal suture zone.
“This combination of high-gravity signatures, magnetic geometry and geological setting at Destiny warrants further investigation to determine the potential for any mineralisation to be associated with these distinctive geophysical features.
“These targets are relatively easy to explore and we consider they have potential for high-grade discoveries, such as Nb-REE mineralisation or Ni Cu-PGEs.
“Drilling has been prioritised to test these new targets and we look forward to providing exploration updates as we advance this promising development.”
