Pure Resources Ltd (ASX:PR1) says it has mapped a garnet skarn strike extension measuring 4.5 kilometres during a second visit to the Reedy Creek project in Western Australia, which it believes underscores the potential for this play to turn into one of three commercially viable garnet mines in the world.
Crucially, the skarn extension has expanded Reedy Creek’s resource potential for garnet – from 1.1 kilometres to 5.6 kilometres of overall strike, with the whole system lying within the current mining lease.
The discovery was made when geologists identified a fault which displaces the garnet mineralisation trend 1 kilometre to the southeast, with mapping along this trend leading to the revelation of multiple skarn lenses to the southwest, with the total of this outcrop extending 5.6 kilometres.
Pure Resources is moving quickly to assess the quality of mineralisation at the project, awaiting the results of metallurgical testing on 100 kilograms of garnet skarn which will enable the company to assess what end products may be available from Reedy Creek.
Pure’s Executive Chairman Patric Glovac said the discovery had added to expectations of what this project could lead to, in terms of commercially viable garnet mining.
“We are very pleased with the finding from this second site visit to Reedy Creek which has
delineated a four-fold increase to the outcropping garnet trend that sits within the
granted mining lease,” he said.
“The project represents a unique, high-quality, hard rock garnet project with abundant outcropping garnet grading up to 78% from surface.
“Reedy Creek has the potential to be one of only three commercially viable hard rock garnet mines in the world: this is an important discovery for the company as it indicates there is potential to deliver significant resource growth at the Project with additional drilling.
“We are confident of rapidly progressing the project through feasibility and mining studies with a view to becoming a long mine-life, Australian garnet producer and one of the few hard-rock garnet producers globally.”
Located 90 kilometres north of Halls Creek, Reedy Creek is a high-grade industrial garnet deposit close to the Great Northern Highway and other infrastructure.
At 13:25 AEST, shares in Pure Resources were trading at 8.9 cents, a rise of 11.25% since the market opened.