AMN - BURKINA FASO: Vanadium exploration target

Vital Metals has identified a vanadium-titanium-magnetite (VTM) exploration target at Tiebele within its Nahouri project in Burkina Faso. The company plans to complete infill soiling sampling on the target to test the extent of the magnetic anomaly.

Vital’s review of historic, wide-spaced soil geochemistry data identified a NE-SW striking elongated vanadium anomaly on the Nahouri permit, southeast of Tiebele.

The company's exploration geologist overlaid high-resolution aeromagnetic data and confirmed that geochemical anomaly coincided with a very pronounced magnetic anomaly.

The elongated shape of the magnetic anomaly and the combination of elevated vanadium with elevated titanium and magnetite concentration suggested that it may be caused by a V-Timagnetite body (VTM), similar to most significant V-Ti resources around the world.

During May 2018, Vital’s exploration team conducted a soil sampling program to test the V-Ti target, with three soil samples placed directly on the magnetic anomaly between historic samples.

Two of the three confirmed the anomaly, with 1075ppm and 528ppm V (0.19 and 0.09% V2O5), respectively. These samples also showed high concentrations of titanium and iron.

Vital's managing director Mark Strizek said: “Our exploration team has identified a VTM exploration target in Burkina Faso after examining historic and modern data. Based on the available exploration data, the targeted style of mineralisation is a Vanadium-Titanium-Magnetite body (VTM), similar to projects in the Yilgarn craton of Western Australia (eg Canegrass or Windmurra).

“Based on the size of the magnetic anomaly, we have estimated a strike length of 1,500m to 1,900 metres at an average width of 50 to 150 metres for the anomalous rock body. The shape of the magnetic anomaly suggests a NW dip and if this was around 150 metres then potentially there is a sizeable volume, however, we will need drill testing to verify.

“With the exploration season fast approaching in Burkina Faso, our next step is confirmatory geochemical sampling over the target to determine its potential as a drill target.”

Vital’s exploration team believes that historic mapping in the area is not accurate and does not reflect the underlying geophysics and geochemistry. Taking into account all available information to date, the anomalous rock body appears to be at the interface between ultramafic rocks to the west and mafic units to the east.

All soil samples to date including historical samples have been analysed by ICP-AES following 4acid (near total) digestion. However, as no laboratory in Burkina Faso offers this service, Vital is planning to analyse follow-up soil samples using the company’s portable XRF tool currently in Ouagadougou.

Vital will complete infill soil sampling over the complete strike length of the magnetic anomaly to delineate the geochemical signature of the underlying rock body and identify internal variations.

The program also plans to gather rock-chip samples if outcrop conditions allow.

Having capacity to analyse soil samples using the portable XRF provides Vital with the ability to move quickly to a potential scout drilling program without need to wait for the ICP-AES analysis.

www.vitalmetals.com.au