Red Mountain Mining has confirmed outcropping garnet skarn at its Pioneer Tungsten Project in Montana, with magnetic modelling revealing promising subsurface granodiorite bodies. Assay results are due soon, setting the stage for potential drill testing.
- Outcropping garnet skarn identified at Mammoth and Greenstone
- 24 rock chip samples submitted for tungsten assay
- Magnetic modelling shows shallow granodiorite beneath claims
- Project adjacent to Almonty’s Gentung tungsten deposit
- Plans for further sampling and rapid drill targeting
Surface Garnet Skarn Confirmed at Pioneer Project
Red Mountain Mining (ASX:RMX) has visually confirmed outcropping garnet skarn at the Mammoth and Greenstone prospects within its 100% owned Pioneer Tungsten Project in Montana. The reconnaissance field visit in late May yielded 24 rock chip samples now sent for multielement analysis, with tungsten assay results expected by the end of June. This initial sampling aims to verify tungsten mineralisation akin to historical production in the district.
Geological Setting Mirrors Historic Tungsten District
The Pioneer Project spans three claim groups; Greenstone, Mammoth and Lost Creek; along the Mount Torrey Batholith’s eastern margin. This area hosts massive garnet skarns up to 25 metres thick, historically known to carry scheelite (CaWO4) tungsten mineralisation. Adjacent ground has yielded significant tungsten resources, including Almonty Industries’ Gentung deposit with 6.83 million tonnes at 0.315% WO3, and mines like Ivanhoe and Lost Creek that produced an estimated 680,000 tonnes of tungsten ore in the mid-20th century.
Magnetic Modelling Highlights Subsurface Potential
Magnetic data from the 2023 USGS airborne survey, interpreted through 3D modelling by Arrow Geosciences, reveals subsurface magnetic bodies beneath Mammoth and Greenstone. These are interpreted as shallow extensions of the Uphill Creek Granodiorite, the granodiorite source of skarn mineralisation. The magnetic highs beneath Red Mountain’s claims mirror the shallow granodiorite contact beneath Almonty’s Gentung deposit, suggesting potential for limestone-hosted tungsten-bearing garnet skarn mineralisation at drillable depths.
Plans for Rapid Advancement to Drilling
Subject to positive assay results from the current rock chip samples, Red Mountain plans further geological mapping and surface sampling across all claim areas in June. The company aims to quickly define drill targets to test downdip extensions of the skarn mineralisation during the northern hemisphere summer. This aligns with Red Mountain’s recent securing of 100% ownership of the Pioneer Tungsten Project and ongoing efforts to capitalise on elevated tungsten prices and strategic supply considerations in the US mining sector.
Historical Context and Strategic Location
The Pioneer claims lie adjacent to Almonty Industries’ recent acquisition of claims hosting the Gentung tungsten deposit, a significant resource in a district with a rich tungsten mining history. The Torrey Batholith complex hosts the tungsten mineralisation, which is concentrated where granodiorite intrudes carbonate rocks, forming skarns. Historical mining and exploration data from the 1950s and 1970s provide a valuable backdrop but lack modern reporting standards, underscoring the importance of Red Mountain’s current systematic exploration.
Bottom Line?
Assay results arriving soon will be pivotal for Red Mountain’s plans to drill-test promising tungsten skarn targets in a historically productive Montana district.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming assay results confirm economically viable tungsten grades in the garnet skarns?
- How quickly can Red Mountain secure regulatory approvals and mobilise drilling given the project’s strategic location?
- Could the magnetic modelling lead to discovery of new skarn bodies beyond the known outcrops?