Clay rare earths in Voltaic’s sights as drilling begins at Paddys Well

Voltaic Strategic Resources is kicking off the first phase of drilling at its Paddys Well rare earths prospect in WA’s Gascoyne critical minerals region, mobilising an auger-vacuum rig for a 1250m program.

Auger-vacuum drilling is a fast and efficient method which can drill down to depths of under-45m with track-mounted movement, ensuring fast coverage of large strike areas to identify rare earths anomalism and vector towards source mineralisation.

Cheaper than RC and diamond drilling, it will enable Voltaic (ASX:VSR) to get a strong sense of the potential of its prospective CSZ 1 rare earths corridor, where several historic drillholes have identified anomalous total rare earth element oxide results in shallow oxide clay cover and basement rocks.

VSR says the main aim for the program is to twin historical holes and delineate the extent of the clay-hosted anomalous REE area, as well as screen for other areas of potential interest.

The explorer also plans to undertake the next round of field reconnaissance target generation at Paddys Well alongside the drilling program.

“The Company received favourable results from the phase-1 campaign, the program will be extended in February 2023 (phase-2),” VSR noted.

“It should be noted that the primary target of this AV drill campaign is the upper shallow oxide (clay) horizon and enables low cost, expeditious vectoring towards potential deeper primary basement mineralisation.”

VSR’s CSZ 1 target corridor, which hosts Paddys Well, is located just west of Kingfisher Mining’s Micks Well REE discovery between Carnarvon and Meekatharra.

Alongside the drill campaign over the next month the company expects to see results from its first phase rock-chip sampling in January, with results from Phase 2 rock chips and the AV drilling due in March.

It is also planning to acquire enhanced radiometrics, aeromagnetics and UAV drone imagery in field work in February.

VSR confirmed the rare earths potential at the Gascoyne project in October, shortly after listing on the ASX, with historic intercepts demonstrating its rich rare earths intercepts.

In those intercepts, 23% of the mineralisation was high value, in-demand rare earths used in renewable energy in the form of permanent magnets, such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.

It also has lithium prospects at its Ti-Tree project where the explorer has identified several pegmatites, surrounding Red Dirt Metals’ Yinnetharra discovery.

This article was developed in collaboration with Voltaic Strategic Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.