The right Critical signs

In less than three weeks on the ground since listing, Australian Critical Minerals joined the ranks of aspiring hunters making all the right moves for Western Australia’s subsequent significant discovery. 

A group of highly skilled professionals, headed by global minerals explorer Dean de Largie, utilises a comprehensive and well-organised exploration methodology in their initial campaign at the promising Cooletha Lithium asset.  

The company’s primary target covers a large area of land in Australia’s highly beneficial mining precinct, including the Pilbara Minerals’ high-grade Pilgangoora Lithium Project (223Mt @ 1.25% Li2O). It encompasses more than 100 square kilometres of potential, with visible pegmatite swarms. 

In terms of location, it is near significant discoveries such as MinRes’ Wodgina Lithium Project (259Mt @ 1.17% Li2O) and Global Lithium Resources’ Archer Lithium Deposit at Marble Bar (18Mt @ 1% Li2O) to the northeast. 

Market Open(ed) chats to de Largie as he and his team eagerly await the results of their first highly anticipated sampling campaign at the Cooletha Project in the Pilbara whilst getting ready to start mapping, sampling and drilling at the Rankin Dome Rare Earth Project near Southern Cross, three hours east of Perth. 

How have things progressed on the ground at Cooletha since listing last month? 

We’ve had a great start identifying the zonation within the pegmatite suites. Multiple locations within the Cooletha tenements with spodumene-bearing pegmatites have been identified already. These results are the first critical step because they will allow us to begin planning our first drilling campaign at Cooletha, which we hope to get underway later this year. 

What is planned next for your Pilbara tenements? 

The large tenement area requires a methodical approach to exploration to optimise the possibilities of discovery of lithium bearing minerals and other commodities associated with pegmatites or alkaline-intrusive host rocks.

Our initial field mapping and rock sampling programs will cover much of the prospective area to identify the most fertile areas for future LCT pegmatite focus. With the establishment of focus zones, LCT pegmatites will be mapped and surface sampled in the detail required to produce high-value drill target areas. 

What is the plan for the next six months at Rankin Dome? 

Our goal is to thoroughly investigate the bedrock to determine if the rare earth anomaly identified from shallow auger drilling represents the surface expression of a clay-hosted rare-earth occurrence or associated with the underlying intrusive bedrock. 

Past exploration efforts have been limited to shallow, surface-level drilling, which barely scratches the surface of what could be a massive undertaking. Currently, only a portion of the expansive tenement package has been explored.  The Rankin Dome tenement package has an area of over 300 square kilometers of which only 10% has undergone shallow auger drilling.

We plan to commence an RC drill program in the east where bedrock is expected near surface. We will simultaneously adopt several exploration methods over areas where bedrock is expected to be deeper. This includes infill auger sampling to provide more detail to the soil anomaly which will optimise future drill hole locations, and extending some soil anomalies which are open to the southeast with air-core drilling.    

Can you explain why the +8 crustal enrichment is so significant? 

This question is interesting for several reasons. Having multiple levels of enrichment in your surface soils is crucial, as this indicates that there has been enrichment in the underlying rocks or in the underlying clays. With rare earths, this is particularly exciting because they can be preferentially absorbed into the vegetation that grows on the soil.

Consequently, the ground soils can become depleted in those elements. Therefore, having a high enrichment value in those agricultural surface soils not what we would typically expect and may indicate that significant enrichment in the clays or bedrock has occurred.  

Do you foresee land access challenges at Rankin Dome? 

We’ve got a good relationship with the landowners, and our team has done a great job getting all those permission and agreements in place.  

What is ACM’s aspiration for the future? 

Right from the get-go, our company has sought valuable commodities with scale potential, which could make a significant force in those commodities or become a company of considerable interest to other major producers and end users. 

How did you manage to acquire vast land packages in both the Pilbara and in Southern Western Australia? 

I’ve been delighted to be able to bring high-quality projects into Australian Critical Minerals and float on the ASX. The large tenement holding we have was part of the selection criteria as it provides exploration longevity and the potential to discover the large resources required to become a mid-tier producer of the future.

It’s been particularly heartening to have received the support we had for our oversubscribed listing during a challenging economic period for many other companies. It has been a team effort where we have identified many potential projects globally and reviewed them for suitability to a future-focussed energy related ASX listing such as Australian Critical Minerals.   

What is your most rewarding moment in a career spanning so many years and so many commodities around the world? 

There really is nothing quite as fantastic as Andean Geology. I spent more than 20 unforgettable years exploring South America. It was while working there that I developed a passion for intrusive rocks, porphyry copper and high- and low-sulphidation epithermal deposits. Working with global experts early in my career fueled my lasting enthusiasm for these mineral systems.   

What has been your most memorable discovery? 

The Chorobal epithermal vein system in northern Peru was a very memorable discovery. I returned several times over the years to further work this project and others nearby and witnessed the positive impact on all the local community. Houses became homes as floors, windows and roofs were installed, irrigation, roads and power was improved or connected. Refrigeration, televisions and motor vehicles became commonplace.

But the most rewarding of all was to see the children of the workers that I employed nearly 30 years ago became healthy educated and happy individuals with healthy families of their own.   

What has your time developing mineral resources taught you? 

Being methodical, working from the known to the unknown and taking small steps where exploration decisions are evidence based are what guides a successful venture from exploration to production and protects shareholders during the journey.    

Is there room in the industry for companies only interested in exploring? 

In today’s world, a team must be fully committed to planning for the whole commodity process. For some companies that means finding a resource and taking it through to production. Many businesses focus solely on exploring new ideas and handing them to more prominent companies to finish the job. That is fine also. What is needed though for the project to be successful is that at each stage the appropriate people are in place and they have an understanding on how critical decisions at each stage affect the viability of subsequent stages of a project. This is where a good Board of Directors shows its worth.

Our team takes great satisfaction in having the ability to see our work projects through from start to finish. We believe in the value of creating job opportunities and improving lives through our work and take pride in doing so. While it may sound cliché, improving lives, livelihoods and the environment is the most rewarding aspect of this job. 

What benefits have your Board Members brought to the team? 

Gary Brabham is a skilled geologist with impressive expertise in  geostatistics, resource delineation and mine development. He was MD of DeGrey Mining earlier in his career then Technical Director for Adamus Resources prior to becoming Group Geologist for the over $2 billion market capped Perseus Mining Ltd.

We are Chaired by the well-respected Michael Wright who brings over 35 years of corporate experience to the table, Michael was Executive Director of herald Resources where he developed several WA gold mines and an Indonesian zinc mine. Herald Resources was taking over by an Indo-Chinese group for $580 million. He later founded General Mining Corp which held the Mt Cattlin Lithium mine prior to the Galaxy Resources takeover. It is comforting to have such capable, accomplished and distinguished individuals on the ACM Board with me. Their skills and talents will become valuable assets as our projects develop and Australian Critical Minerals grows. 

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