Wolfe Basin Base Metals

Wolfe Basin covers 780km² of unexplored ground in the Kimberley region, Western Australia. Sipa has identified sediment-hosted base metal and intrusive-hosted nickel targets, with the initial focus being sediment-hosted base metals.

A comprehensive mineralisation model has been used in the hunt for sediment-hosted base metals based on the movement of metal bearing fluids, driven against basement highs by east-west tectonic compression.

Transported metals are subsequently deposited into suitable chemical (e.g. carbonaceous shales, carbonate units) and structural (fault and fold dilatancy) traps and is broadly similar to that underpinning copper mineralisation found in the African Copper Belt.

The Wolfe Basin project contains all the expected elements for this model, and it was on the basis of these elements that the project area was originally targeted.

The prospective horizon has a strike length of more than 80km, with anomalous base metals observed in soil sampling for at least 20km and two outcropping gossanous ironstones along the target horizon the logical targets for initial investigations.

Prior to Sipa’s work, the area had not been the focus of any previous documented exploration or drilling. This extensive length of a base metals target position makes the project very attractive.