Exciting times for Galileo with your recent Callisto Discovery at the Norseman Project in Western Australia. Can you give our readers the highlights of what you have found there?
We have made what looks like an amazing discovery by following up some of our old drill results. In 2016 we were drilling for nickel and hit some low-grade palladium numbers in the drill hole. Last year we took another look at the results and realized we were potentially sitting on the edge of a large mineral system.
That new understanding led us to drill a first round of six drill holes this year and every single drill hole intercepted palladium-platinum-gold-nickel-copper. NRC266 was the discovery drill hole with 33m @ 2.05g/t 4E (1.64g/t Pd, 0.28g/t Pt, 0.09g/t Au, 0.05g/t Rh), 0.32% Cu and 0.30% Ni. We could hardly have hoped for a better outcome from that first drill programme.
As of late June we are now into our second round of drilling at the Callisto discovery and eagerly awaiting the results.
The recent announcement from the second round of drilling showed good geological results. Has this given you confidence that the initial discovery might turn into a large resource and eventually be mined?
The first announcement from our second round of drilling showed that that the sulphide mineralization continues to be consistent and we have now drilled over 250m across strike. Being an early stage discovery it is very hard to predict how large an area is covered by the mineralization however with over 5km of potential strike length our confidence is increasing with every drill hole.
We know from surface mapping and geophysics that the layered sill host rock continues at least 5km to the north. What we don’t know is how much of the base of that sill contains the sulphide mineralization. Only drilling will be able to answer that question.
Can you give some background on the history of the Norseman Project and the work done in the run up to the Callisto Discovery?
Explorers over the last 50 years have always recognized the potential for palladium and platinum around the Norsemen. The government survey maps produced in the 1960s and ‘70s mention similarities between some of the geology around Norseman and that seen in Africa. Before we listed on the ASX in 2018 we explored the ground as a private company from 2007. And finally, in 2022, we have been able to show that strong mineralization occurs within the project area. This has been a great breakthrough for us and has given us a lot of confidence to keep exploring, not only at the Callisto discovery, but over the entire 280km2 ground holding we have in the area.
What are the similarities you are seeing between Norseman and the Platreef deposit in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex – one of the world’s most significant PGE-producing regions?
Using analogies in exploration is very useful as it helps guide exploration and allows explorers to test theories and ideas. If we didn’t have any ideas or concepts to drill test then a lot of good discoveries would go missing. In the case of Callisto we thought that the layered ultramafic sill had similarities to the ultramafic rocks that host the Platreef deposits. And when we drilled the area we found disseminated mineralization at the base of the layered sill in a pyroxenite host rock.
The concept has been tested and the mineralization identified to date indeed appears to be similar to the Platreef. The next concept we will be testing is whether the mineralization is as widely distributed as that at the Platreef deposits. If we find that to be the case then I think it will be a very successful moment for us.
What is the significance of finding rhodium within the mineralization at Callisto?
The reason we tested for rhodium goes back to the previous question. Looking at the metals that occur in association with disseminated sulphides at Platreef we saw that rhodium forms a valuable part of the contained metals. When the rhodium tests came back positive it was further evidence of the similar Platreef-style geology. And of course, with rhodium being an extremely valuable metal, it could provide a significant value-add to the project. Rhodium is very rare in nature and we have now shown that it occurs within our project area at Norseman. This in itself is a very good result.
Callisto is just one of three highly prospective areas that we are exploring within our Norseman project area
Besides Callisto, tell us about the exploration activities being carried out and planned at the Jimberlana and Mission Sill prospects at Norseman. What potential are you seeing there?
Callisto is just one of three highly prospective areas that we are exploring within our Norseman project area. At the Mission Sill and Jimberlana prospects we are at a slightly earlier stage of exploration than Callisto. Both Mission Sill and Jimberlana have multiple early stage drill hits with palladium, platinum, gold, nickel, and copper results. In March 2022 we made five separate ASX announcements with results from drilling at these prospects. These targets are now ready for further drill testing which we plan to undertake later in the year. With a little luck we may be able to make further discoveries like Callisto.
Norseman is not Galileo’s only project. Can you give an update on your exploration projects in the Fraser Range?
We also have the Fraser Range project which is prospective for nickel-copper minerals similar to those being extracted at the nearby Nova nickel-copper-cobalt mine. Our Fraser Range prospects have been developing over the last four years and we have shown that mineralization is present on our ground and occurs with the right type of rocks. Our exploration techniques have been successful at generating good quality targets in the past and we currently have two excellent geophysical targets ready for drill testing. We plan to drill these prospects later in the year in conjunction with our ongoing drilling at the Callisto discovery.
