New High-Priority Gold Targets Discovered at Kookynie Project
Arika Resources (ASX: ARI) has identified multiple high-priority gold targets at its Kookynie Gold Project in Western Australia, with soil geochemistry revealing promising exploration opportunities that could potentially expand the company's new gold targets footprint in this prolific region.
Key Exploration Breakthroughs Highlight Project Potential
The latest soil geochemistry surveys at the Mulga Plum-Jeedamya tenements and Cosmopolitan Prospect have yielded exceptional results, identifying 17 new priority targets across the western side of Arika's Kookynie Project area. This breakthrough represents a significant advancement in the company's understanding of the gold potential within largely unexplored areas of its tenure.
Two standout high-priority targets at Mulga Plum-Jeedamya demonstrate particularly encouraging characteristics:
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Gold Target MJTA 1: Covers an impressive area of ~750m x 450m in the northern part of E40/350 and remains open to the west, suggesting potential for expansion.
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Gold Target MJTA 9: Encompasses a substantial ~2200m x 300m area (elongated east-west) in the central part of E40/350, situated predominantly within interpreted mafic units.
Additionally, soil sampling at the Cosmopolitan Gold Prospect identified two priority targets:
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Gold Target CTA1: Spans 350m x 120m with maximum gold values of 231.8ppb Au and 160.4ppb Au on adjacent 200m spaced lines.
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Gold Target CTA2: A single point anomaly with a maximum result of 44.8ppb Au.
Importantly, none of these newly identified targets have been previously drill tested, representing virgin exploration territory with significant discovery potential.
"Our soil geochemistry programs across the Kookynie Project have been designed to help refine high priority structural targets developed from a review and interpretation of existing open file geophysical data, primarily airborne magnetics. The results of this work have delivered very positive results, highlighting multiple high-priority coincident geochemical and geophysical targets for follow-up exploration," said Justin Barton, Managing Director of Arika Resources.
Understanding Ultrafine Soil Geochemistry
Ultrafine soil geochemistry represents an advanced exploration technique particularly valuable in areas with shallow cover or weathered profiles. This method involves analysing the finest fraction of soil samples (typically less than 2 microns) where mobile elements tend to concentrate.
The technique is especially effective in the Kookynie region, where traditional exploration methods may miss subtle gold anomalies. By examining this ultrafine fraction, geochemists can detect even slight elemental variations that might indicate mineralisation at depth, helping to identify targets that might otherwise remain hidden.
The weighted sum methodology employed by Arika's technical team combines gold data with pathfinder elements like silver, arsenic, bismuth, and copper to create a more robust targeting system, filtering out false positives and highlighting areas most likely to contain significant gold mineralisation.
Technical Application of Ultrafine Soil Sampling
The soil sampling program at Kookynie involved collecting the -2mm fraction from soil, with approximately 100g of material gathered from each site. This material was then processed at LabWest using their proprietary UFF-PE technique, which analyses for 53 different elements including gold, silver, arsenic, bismuth, and copper.
This multi-element approach provides a comprehensive geochemical fingerprint that helps distinguish genuine mineralised systems from background variations. At Mulga Plum-Jeedamya, the analysis revealed clear geological controls, with gold, copper, iron, and tellurium elevated over basalt units, while tungsten and manganese were elevated over felsic units.
Strategic Pathway to New Discoveries
The company has outlined a clear path forward to advance these promising targets:
- Extensional and in-fill soil sampling around high-priority anomalies to further refine target areas
- Ultra-detailed drone-supported aeromagnetic survey scheduled for completion in June 2025
- Reconnaissance drilling planned for Q3/Q4 2025, subject to regulatory approvals
Meanwhile, Arika is set to recommence drilling at its Yundamindra Gold Project this week, marking the beginning of an active exploration period across its project portfolio.
Kookynie: A Historically Rich Gold District Primed for New Discoveries
The Kookynie Gold Project is strategically positioned approximately 180km north of Kalgoorlie and 50km south of Leonora in Western Australia's prolific North-Eastern Goldfields. The project hosts several historical mining centres including the Diamantina-Cosmopolitan-Cumberland trend, along with the Altona, McTavish, Leipold, and Champion deposits.
Despite its rich mining history, with historical production including 331,000 ounces at 15g/t Au from the Cosmopolitan mine and 74,000 ounces at 30g/t Au from the Altona mine, much of the project area remains underexplored, particularly beneath shallow cover.
The Kookynie Project occurs within a significant structural flexure which has played an important role in the development of major deposits in the region. This area is part of the Keith-Kilkenny Tectonic Zone within the north-northwest trending Archean-aged Malcolm greenstone belt—a triangular shaped area hosting a succession of Archean mafic-ultramafic igneous and meta-sedimentary rocks.
Regional magnetic data indicates the Kookynie region is bounded to the west by the north-trending Mt. George Shear/Perseverance Fault, the Emu Fault and Keith-Kilkenny Shear Zone to the east, and the Mulliberry Granitoid Complex to the south.
Gold Mineralisation Styles at Kookynie
Several styles of gold mineralisation have been identified in the Kookynie region. The largest system discovered to date includes the high-grade gold discovery mined at the Ulysses/Admiral/Butterfly/Orient Well area, Desdemona area, and Niagara area.
The gold mineralisation is typically:
- Shear zone controlled
- Associated with carbonate-chlorite-biotite-sericite-sulphide alteration
- Often contains pyritic quartz veins
- Hosted within north to northeast dipping structures that cross-cut 'favourable' lithologies
Gold mineralisation tends to be preferentially concentrated in differentiated dolerite sills, felsic-intermediate igneous, volcanic, and volcanosedimentary lithologies associated with pyrite/carbonate/silica/sericite wall rock alteration.
Arika's exploration strategy focuses on three key growth opportunities:
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Extensions to known mineralisation: High-grade prospects including McTavish, Leipold, and Champion remain open in all directions
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New discoveries under cover: Structural settings and anomalous soil assays identified through modern exploration techniques remain largely untested
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Historical mines – extensions and repetitions: Limited systematic drilling at depth or along strike from known high-grade deposits
Why Investors Should Follow Arika Resources
Arika Resources presents a compelling investment case for gold-focused investors seeking exposure to a junior explorer with significant discovery potential in a tier-one mining jurisdiction. The company's Kookynie Gold Project offers several key advantages:
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Strategic Location: Situated in Western Australia's gold-rich Eastern Goldfields with proximity to established mining infrastructure and processing facilities
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Historical High-Grade Production: Previous mining operations at Cosmopolitan and Altona demonstrate the potential for exceptional gold grades (15-30g/t)
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Multiple Near-Term Catalysts: Ongoing exploration programs including soil sampling, geophysics, and drilling provide regular news flow opportunities
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Systematic Exploration Approach: The company's methodical, multi-disciplinary approach to target generation enhances discovery probability
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Strong Technical Team: Management with proven exploration and development experience in the Western Australian goldfields
The Kookynie Project is operated as a joint venture between Arika Resources Ltd (80%) and NEX Metals Exploration Ltd gold exploration (20%), with Arika serving as project manager. This partnership combines Arika's exploration expertise with NEX Metals Exploration Ltd gold exploration experience in the region.
With multiple high priority gold targets now identified, an active drilling campaign about to commence, and a clear pathway to potential discoveries, Arika Resources offers investors exposure to a gold exploration story with significant upside potential in the heart of one of Australia's premier gold provinces.
The company's methodical approach to exploration, combining cutting-edge geochemical techniques with modern geophysical surveys, positions it well to make meaningful discoveries at Kookynie—a historically productive gold district that remains significantly underexplored using modern techniques.
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