Great Western Kicks Off Drilling at Sumo Niobium Target; Oval and Lake Way Projects Advance

Great Western Exploration (ASX: GTE) has launched a highly anticipated maiden drilling program at its Sumo Niobium Target in Western Australia, zeroing in on a 2km x 1km anomaly that could mark one of the few emerging niobium discoveries outside Brazil.

The Sumo prospect lies 70km southeast of Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa Copper-Gold Project and sits within Great Western’s 100%-owned Yerrida North Project. Early work has defined a strong and coherent lag-soil niobium anomaly coincident with several key pathfinder elements typical of carbonatite-style deposits — including tantalum, zirconium, and titanium.

Spectral analysis of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) samples indicates a strong correlation between niobium and titanium, often associated with weathered niobium systems and secondary mineralisation at depth. Field reconnaissance has confirmed the anomaly is in situ and not related to transported surface material — a promising sign for subsurface continuity.

Niobium is listed on Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2023–2030 due to its importance in high-strength steel production and supply chain vulnerability — with Brazil currently supplying around 90% of global niobium.

The current drilling program will test the oxide-fresh rock interface, where GTE is seeking to locate enrichment of secondary niobium mineralisation.

Oval Copper-Gold Target - Results Soon

At the nearby Oval Copper-Gold Target, Great Western has completed drilling. Preliminary geological logging suggests the hole may have intersected Volcanic-Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) mineralisation, akin to that found at the DeGrussa deposit.

Samples from the hole are undergoing assay, with results expected in late April to early May. These will be critical in informing the company’s geological model and determining follow-up drilling.

Promising Results at Lake Way Potash Project

Further afield, at the Lake Way Potash Project, analysis of water-bore drilling revealed potassium concentrations above 5,500mg/L within a basal sand unit — a figure comparable to output from neighbouring Salt Lake Potash’s producing operation.

The borehole is part of a 15km-long paleochannel system interpreted to extend downstream from Salt Lake Potash’s resource. Although some drillholes were abandoned due to technical issues, the area remains a candidate for delineating a maiden SOP (sulphate of potash) resource, subject to market conditions.

With momentum building across three critical resource fronts — niobium, copper-gold, and SOP — Great Western is emerging as one of the more dynamic explorers on the ASX. GTE reported A$4.74M in cash at bank at the conclusion of the December 2024 financial quarter.