Article in ApsleyAdvocate

Exploration report from Nowendoc Minerals

Nowendoc Minerals was planning to hold a Community Meeting at Nowendoc Memorial Hall in July in order to report on exploration results. However, because of the Covid19 outbreak, the meeting has been cancelled. Instead of the meeting, Paul Smith reports here. 

Nowendoc Minerals’ exploration licences have been renewed for four years and the areas have been reduced by 50% (in line with Departmental guidelines). The exploration in 2020 identified good prospects at Curricabark, Nowendoc and Yarras. 

At Curricabark we found malachite in some rock samples with elevated copper (up to 385 ppm) plus anomalous gold (up to 0.202 grams per ton). The Peel Manning Fault system in this particular region curves from a south-west direction to a north-east direction. This “bending” would have to been due to significant geological forces that would have created stresses in dilation zones and compression zones. The literature indicates that such forces can result is large intrusions of liquid rock which produce gold and copper mineralisation. 

At Nowendoc the exploration found elevated levels of pathfinder metals (such as silver, arsenic, cobalt, antimony, tungsten, and molybdenum). The geology is characteristic of a submarine volcanic island arc system that was thrust upwards. When we combine the results of fieldwork with geophysical imagery, we reason that there could be a large system undercover that needs to be explored. 

At Yarras there are massive outcrops of serpentinite, ultramafic rocks and mafic rocks (dark dolerite and gabbro). This belt runs in the NW to SE direction and it has a surface area of 80 square km. We found that representative rocks have elevated levels of iron, titanium, vanadate, and scandium. In comparison to serpentinite, the mafic-ultramafic rocks can have somewhat elevated levels of sulphides (1 - 2 %) and copper (600-900 grams per ton). Also, we found critical minerals in these rocks which is a very significant find because it indicates that the geology is consistent with a sill-dyke complexes with metals that were emplaced by mantle-derived mafic-ultramafic intrusions. 

Critical minerals have been identified by governments worldwide as being extremely important for the revolutionary shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy and the consequent need for rechargeable batteries, mobile devices, electric vehicles, windmills and other products. 

If we are successful in the second term of the project (2021-2025), it opens the way for direct involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples. It could generate new industries, well-paid interesting jobs and increased wealth for the region. In particular, if we discover ore with sufficient critical minerals, the region could be in a unique position to benefit from the manufacture of advanced products for the forthcoming technology revolution. (The project's website is: nowendocminerals.com.au)