Forrestania Resources’ (FRS) cornerstone Project is located in the Archaean Forrestania Greenstone Belt of Western Australia, approximately 80km east of Hyden.
The Project occupies a dominant land position with contiguous tenure covering approximately 623km² that is host to numerous overlooked lithium targets, historical high-grade gold projects and early-stage nickel geochemical anomalies.
Prior to the mid 1980’s, the Forrestania region was largely the subject of nickel focused exploration, until the discovery of the Bounty gold deposit by Aztec Mining Company Ltd in the mid-1980’s and the subsequent production of approximately 1.3 million ounces. During 2016, Kidman Resources Limited (ASX:KDR) reported a ground-breaking discovery, now known as the Earl Grey lithium deposit, with early results including 52m grading 1.53% Li2O and 45m grading 1.81% Li2O.
FRS tenure is directly adjacent to Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) and Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile (NYSX:SQM) Mt Holland Project, where the world-class Early Grey deposit contains proven and probable Ore Reserves 94.2 million tonnes at 1.5% Li2O.
The combined Forrestania Lithium, Gold and Nickel Projects are a rare and exciting exploration opportunity, with the potential to discover a vitally important commodity that contributes significantly in the race towards the decarbonisation of the global economy.
Forrestania Lithium, Gold and Nickel Project, Western Australia
Forrestania Lithium
Exploration
FRS has synthesised previous explorers’ data and created an emergent strategy and exploration model to systematically explore along the entire strike length of its Project area, which spans approximately 100km. In the coming months, the Company will test the potential for voluminous LCT (Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum) lithium-pegmatite swarms at the Gem Project and at the Bounty East Project area
Gem
Gem is located on Mining Lease 77/549, approximately 10km south of the Mt Holland Project, and is host to multiple known LCT-pegmatite occurrences and several of the Company’s priority lithium targets.
To rapidly advance exploration at Gem, a field team is currently onsite conducting a field mapping and sampling program ahead of scheduled geophysical programs and planned drilling.
The Company has engaged Ultramag Geophysics to conduct a Deep Ground Penetrating Radar (DGPR) survey across M77/549, commencing week ending 24th September 2021.
DGPR is a leading geophysical technology that uses a combination of rock dielectric and conductivity to map subsurface rocks and structure, providing a 3D picture up to 150m below the surface.
Ultramag has undertaken case studies using DGPR to identify known isolated pegmatites, pegmatite clusters and pegmatite sills. The resulting anomalies in the DGPR imagery can theoretically be used to prioritise targets and more precisely locate drill holes.
The Company plans to rapidly follow up targets identified by the DGPR survey across Gem and will prioritise locations where existing anomalies are present for immediate reverse circulation (RC) drill testing and potentially validate the geophysical methodology.
Drilling will commence once the requisite statutory approvals are in place and the Company looks forward to providing further updates on this exciting project.
Bounty East
The Company is conducting a preliminary study across the Forrestania Project, in association with Remote Image processing specialist, Dr. Neil Pendock, using satellite derived ASTER data (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer). FRS is encouraged by the imagery derived from Mr Pendock’s ASTER processing, particularly the coincidence of ASTER-derived lithium targets with known pegmatite occurrences to the east of Bounty.
Importantly, the ASTER data has highlighted new lithium target areas, where little to no previous work exists; geochemical sampling and orientation DGPR surveys have been planned and will commence in the coming months.
Forrestania Gold
Exploration
The Forrestania Project is characteristically prospective for gold, and the Company is immediately advancing several priority targets at the Lady Lila, Great Southern/Gem, and Kit Kat Prospects.
Lady Lila
Lady Lila is located approximately 15km south of the historic Bounty gold mine and 4km east of Classic Minerals’ (ASX:CLZ) Lady Magdalene and Lady Ada deposits, host to current Resources of 251,350 ounces grading 1.38g/t and 59,700 ounces grading 1.32g/t gold respectively.
The last drilling programs at Lady Lila were conducted by Sons of Gwalia and Classic Minerals in 1999 and 2018 respectively. During 2016, a Mineral Resource was reported in accordance with the 2012 JORC Code to contain 541,000 tonnes grading 1.38g/t for 24,000 ounces of gold.
Analysis of the historical data appears to provide an opportunity to rapidly define potential extensions to the mineralised zone. Previous drilling reaches an average depth of approximately 50m and generally on 100m-200m spaced drill lines, apart from the area around 6429860mN. Classic’s 2018, 10-hole RC program, confirmed the high-grade tenor of the mineralisation, and that it is open at depth and along strike to the north and south.
North-south oriented long-section of the Lady Lila Project, showing schematic outline of the existing resource and target areas
Cross Section 6,429,856mN at Lady Lila, showing historical gold intercepts and interpreted geology
Drilling highlights from Classic’s 2018 drilling include:
6m @ 9.57g/t Au from 26m including 1m @ 54.50g/t Au from 26m;
5m @ 3.07g/t Au from 65m;
12m @ 1.50g/t Au from 52m;
14m @ 2.15 g/t Au from 74m;
14m at 3.70 g/t Au from 71m including 1m at 13.20 g/t Au from 79m; and
8m at 3.21 g/t Au from 70m including 1m at 11.40 g/t Au from 72m.
Historical drilling highlights include:
13m @ 3.7g/t gold from 32m
15m @ 1.7g/t gold from 68m
The geology and mineralisation-style at Lady Lila appears directly analogous to Bounty, with gold associated with quartz veining and sulphide alteration, located proximal and/or within a steeply dipping shear zone, banded iron formation (BIF) and chert.
Forrestania Resources is currently working with environmental consulting firm Terratree Pty Ltd and the Department of Mines, Industry and Regulation (DMIRS) to complete various environmental studies required to attain statutory approval to commence RC drilling at Lady Lila.
Kit Kat
Kit Kat lies approximately 6km along strike to the south of Classic Minerals’ (ASX:CLZ) Kat Gap Project, which currently hosts a Resource of 92,856 ounces grading 2.96g/t gold. The Kit Kat project spans 10km of prospective strike along the granite-greenstone contact that is a well-known mineralised locality elsewhere in the greenstone belt.
Kit Kat contains multiple historical geochemical gold anomalies grading 10-55ppb and previous explorers have identified several Kat Gap look-alike targets requiring advanced follow up work, including RC drilling.
The Company will be conducting a reconnaissance for drill site preparation and an orientation soil sampling program across priority targets at Kit Kat during October 2021.
Great Southern
Great Southern is host to numerous historical high grade gold workings mined ca. 1917- 1923 and the 1980’s. Reportedly, until around 1924, Great Southern produced 70% of the total ore tonnage and 55% of the gold in the Forrestania area.
Historical Plan Map of Great Southern Mine
Recent drilling logs, supported by subsequent geophysical review, identifies the rock types to the north “along-strike” as a foliated magnetic granite rather than the interpreted foliated mafic greenstones.
A complete synthesis of results suggests the control of the location on high-grade gold mineralisation appears to be trending NE-SW along a granite - granite contact, at 90 degrees to the expected “along-strike” NW-SE direction.
FRS has identified the potential for structurally hosted, high-grade gold in granite at Great Southern and plans to test this concept under the existing pit and along strike.
Schematic long section of the Great Southern Mine workings
Photo of the current Great Southern workings showing interpreted schematic structural interpretation
Forrestania Nickel Exploration
The Forrestania Greenstone Belt is a major nickel exploration and mining hub, with neighbouring Western Areas (ASX:WSA) producing up to 25,000 nickel tonnes per year from the Flying Fox and Spotted Quoll mines.
The Company holds strategic tenements along both the “Western” and “Eastern Ultramafic Belts” that are highly prospective for nickel.
Importantly, an historic diamond hole (MDH14), drilled west of M77/549’s boundary and underneath FRS’ tenement in the 1980’s, intersected the targeted nickel host rock and drilled further into footwall sediments, terminating in a “porphyry unit”.
Early-stage historical exploration at the Mt Stewart prospect, located along the Western Ultramafic Belt, has identified several nickel anomalies requiring further exploration.
Analysis of historical information is ongoing, and an EM survey is planned to assist in drill targeting potential nickel sulphide mineralisation at the Gem Project.
