The company is fronted by two former Galaxy Resource executives, geology director Sebastian Kneer and technical consultant Brian Talbot, who was Galaxy's general manager at the Mt Cattlin mine in Western Australia.

 

They've teamed up with Westar Capital to raise cash to primarily explore the Solonopole project in Brazil's Caera state, where there is a 20km outcropping pegmatite corridor that was most recently explored by failed ASX-listed Cougar Metals.

 

Oceana aims to spend $2.8 million to explore the 115sq.km area where there are some 27 historical mines from which lithium, coltan and tin was recovered, primarily in the 1970s and ‘80s.

 

Sampling by Cougar defined rock chips up to 9% lithium, but the collapse of that company stymied further work.

 

Oceana also expects to spend $760,000 on exploring the Napperby project, midway between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.

 

The project covers some 1150sq.km of tenure where there has been historical tin and tantalum mining, with mapped outcropping pegmatites.

 

There's also potential for rare earth elements noted, with Arafura Resources' Nolans resource juts 42km to the south.

 

The Wangala licence has been primarily explored for gold, tin, tungsten, tantalum, and uranium, with no lithium exploration and little REE exploration, while the Ennugan application has not been subject to any exploration for decades.

 

Trek Resources looked at the Wangala Granite in the 2018, believing it was prospective for lithium, however native title issues meant little work was done. 

 

Tin anomalism over a 14km stretch along the northern margin of the Wangala pluton has also not been followed up. 

 

Oceana, which had some $700,000 in cash prior to its IPO, had the early backing of major chemical manufacturer Ya Hua International, which has put $1 million into the IPO. The Chinese firm is a partner in Eastern Iron's recent pivot to battery metals.

 

Perth-based property developer Tony Trevisan has also been an early backer, working with MMH Capital, Solonopole's vendor. Trevisan's Continental Mining is the largest shareholder in Oceana.

 

Trevisan's business partner, mining executive Gino Vitale, heads up the company as chair.

 

Dr Qingtao Zeng and Simon Mottram are on board as non-executive directors.

 

Zeng is a lithium expert who was involved with the vendor of Napperby, while Mottram is a geologist who's worked with Jubilee Mines and Brazil-focused Avanco Resources.

 

Oceana should list before the end of the month.