www.westerndesertresources.com.au
Western Desert Resources Limited (ASX:WDR) is a diversified mineral exploration business with the objective to increase shareholder value by company growth through the discovery, acquisition and development of substantial economic mineral resources. The Board and Management of Western Desert Resources have substantial experience in the development of mining projects with specific expertise in project generation and delivering exploration success. Western Desert's principle projects are; Roper Bar which is an exciting Iron Ore project in the Northern Territory. WDR has gained access to a substantial tenement area which has never been drilled. Outcropping iron stone formations are evident across large areas of the tenements; Rover, a joint venture with listed company TNG Limited located 100kms south-west of Tennant Creek (NT) giving WDR access to tenements adjacent to the Rover 1 project (Westgold Resources Limited) which recently announced “bonanza” gold grades from drilling and the acquisition of a major interest in Thor Mining provides exposure to the high grade Molyhil tungsten and molybdenum deposit in the Northern territory. Plans for construction of a plant to commence.
Western Desert Resources kicks off drilling at Roper Bar Iron Ore Project
Western Desert Resources (ASX: WDR) has commenced its 2010 drilling program at the Roper Bar Iron Ore Project in the Northern Territory with one RC percussion rig, and a further three drilling rigs are to arrive on site by the end of August.
The drilling follows one week after WDR acquired the outstanding 20% interest in the Roper Bar Project to now hold a 100%.
WDR plans to drill approximately 23,000m of infill resource drilling in Areas D, E and F. Initial resource drilling totalling approximately 10,000m in Areas B and C is also planned.
Exploration drilling will also be undertaken in untested areas elsewhere at Roper Bar and at Mountain Creek.
Norm Gardner, managing director, said the company was pleased the drilling program is now underway after an extended delay due to extreme wet conditions earlier in the year, which washed out roads and restricted access to site.
“While we waited to get on the ground, WDR has been working on the project’s Scoping Study. Project development is being planned around two stages - a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) component and a gravity separation beneficiation component,” Gardner said.
“WDR plans to have three rigs on site by the end of August. Our goal is to drill up the resources to underpin our Scoping Study, prior to working on the Pre-feasibility Study for both stages.”
The first assay results from the drilling program are expected to be available in mid to late August and regular updates will be given as the program progresses.
The Roper Bar Iron Ore Project covers about 1,200 square kilometres within six granted exploration licences and includes an estimated 55 square kilometres of outcrop of the target Sherwin Formation which hosts extensive hematitic iron ore horizons.
Last year, Inferred Mineral Resources of 116Mt @ 39% Fe, including a DSO component, were estimated from a limited drilling program over a small part of the outcropping Sherwin Formation.
WDR also has 100% of the adjacent Mountain Creek iron ore project, which contains the continuation of the Sherwin Formation and will be the subject of initial drilling this year.
WDR has 135 million issued shares, a market capitalisation of A$51 million and cash & investments of A$6.5 million.
