Solitario goes solo

Now going it alone, Solitario Resources (SLR-T) plans to begin 2,000 metres of drilling at the Pedra Branca palladium-platinum project in northeastern Brazil.

This past summer, Rockwell Ventures (RCW-V) dropped the project after drilling failed to return satisfactory results. Rockwell was earning a 60% interest by spending US$7 million over four years; it had spent $2.7 million before withdrawing.

Solitario intends to sink 15 holes on nine targets over the 690-sq.-km property. Only three of the targets have been drilled previously. The shallow targets (within 100 metres of surface) are associated with multi-gram values of platinum group metals (PGM) in chip samples.

Targeted for drilling are coincident magnetic and soil and rock geochemical anomalies. A recent airborne geophysical survey was followed by a ground magnetometer survey.

Says Solitario’s chief executive officer, Chris Herald: “We are extremely pleased with the effectiveness of geophysics as an exploration tool at Pedra Branca and foresee testing a number of magnetic targets. We fully expect that further surveys will continue to generate additional areas for future work.” Drilling is slated to run to the end of the year.

Beginning last April, drilling was carried out on the Esbarro prospect. Rockwell drilled two holes each into the Curiu and Trapia prospects and three holes in the Ipueiras zone. Seventeen holes intersected the ultramafic-chromite assemblage, which hosts mineralization, whereas 12 did not. Two holes were incomplete.

One highlight from the drilling was 12.8 metres grading 1.89 grams platinum and palladium per tonne in hole 11 at the Esbarro zone. Within this interval was 0.31 metre of 29.5 grams platinum and palladium per tonne. Hole 14, also at Esbarro, cut 14.65 metres of 1.81 grams platinum-palladium, including 3 metres of 3.69 grams. Hole 25 cut 14 metres of 2.94 grams at the Curiu target, including 1.5 metres of 11 grams and 0.9 metre of 11.4 grams. Hole 27 hit 45 metres of 1.44 grams at the Trapia target.