Morella Corporation Limited announced the results of the recently completed geophysical survey work and modelling at its North Big Smoky (NBS) project in Nevada. The survey has identified a high conductivity zone in the project area that is now subject to further investigation. Morella commissioned KLM Geophysics Inc. (KLM) to complete a CSAMT survey within the NBS project area, which is located approximately 50 km south of Austin in Nye County, Nevada.

KLM completed the survey over 5 days along a single 2.5 km long survey line planned by Morella within the North Big Smokey claims. Resource Potentials Pty Ltd. (ResPot) then processed and interpreted the CSAMT data. CSAMT data was acquired using a Phoenix RXU-8A 5-channel EM receiver system with non-polarisable electrodes located every 50 m along the survey line to create 50 m long electric field dipoles (Ex), and Phoenix MTC-180 magnetic field sensors located at 250 m intervals along the survey line and oriented orthogonal to the direction of the survey line (Hy). A grounded transmitter bipole was established in a broadside configuration (i.e. parallel to the survey line orientation) approximately 9.8 km SSE of the CSAMT survey line.

The grounded bipole was energised using a Phoenix TXU-30A transmitter/controller system with a 30-kW trailer-mounted motor generator, and with a sinusoidal transmitter waveform covering 54 transmitter frequencies geometrically increasing from 1 Hz to 10,000 Hz. Both ResPot and KLM 2D resistivity models of the CSAMT data indicated a deep and high conductivity anomaly starting from approximately 700 m below the eastern part of the CSAMT survey line, which may be caused by brines at depth or conductive lithology. Areas of high conductivity are shown as hotter colours (orange to purple) and areas of lower conductivity (greater resistivity) are shown as cooler colours (white to blue).

Black arrows indicate changes in surface soils observed in satellite imagery. Passive seismic (PSS) horizontal-to-vertical-spectral ratio (HVSR) in order to generate a map of depth to acoustic bedrock, which can be used to assist identification of structures within the project area and tie-in conductive anomaly features with estimated bedrock depths. Further Magnetotelluric geophysical surveys over the remaining claim area after the PSS work has been completed to help model the conductive source.