Auroch Minerals Limited (ASX:AOU) has hit promising nickel intersections in its exploration activities at the Nepean Project in Western Australia.
The second drill-hole into the Nepean Deeps target area, NPDD013, successfully intersected 12.5m of disseminated and matrix to semi-massive nickel sulphides from 576.8m, within a 76.15m intersection of ultramafics from 534.65 – 610.80m down-hole, which is interpreted to be the underexplored Sill 1 ultramafic directly west of the mine sequence.
The nickeliferous sulphides were intersected just below the down-hole electromagnetic (DHEM) conductor 1A/1B, and are interpreted to be the cause of the DHEM conductor, the uppermost of three DHEM targets identified by the first Nepean Deeps drill-hole NPDD008.
The intersected sulphides are pyrrhotite dominant, with both pentlandite (nickel sulphide) and chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) observed in the semi-massive to matrix sulphides. The core is currently being cut and sampled for priority assay submission.
NPDD013 is currently at a down-hole depth of approximately 675m and is planned to be drilled to a final depth of 800m to test for any further intersections of ultramafic units and potential nickel sulphide mineralisation beneath the historic Nepean mine workings.
Auroch Managing Director, Aidan Platel, said upon completion the drill-hole will be cased for DHEM surveying.
“We are extremely pleased to have intersected nickel sulphide mineralisation in this second hole into the Nepean Deeps target,” Mr Platel said.
“The ultramafic unit we’ve intersected is a lot thicker than the correlating ultramafic intersected in the first hole NPDD008, and really highlights the untested potential of Nepean beneath the historic workings and beneath the level of historic exploration.
“Our current interpretation is that this ultramafic is the historically named Sill 1 ultramafic, which until now was thought to be unmineralised, thus opening up a whole new potential for significant nickel sulphide mineralisation at Nepean.
“The mineralised drill core will be sampled and rushed to the lab for assaying, and we look forward to announcing those results to the market when they are received. In the meantime, the drilling continues, as does the ground IP survey at the regional Nepean North prospect, which we believe will generate significant new targets for the next drilling campaign.”
Regional exploration at Nepean currently comprises the ground dipole-dipole induced polarisation (IP) survey that recently commenced over the Nepean North Prospect of the Nepean Nickel Project, where a recent geochemistry review highlighted the prospectivity of the ultramafic sequences for nickel sulphide mineralisation.
To date a total of five lines have been completed, with the survey commencing from the north. Preliminary results have identified some strong chargeability features in fresh-rock associated with both a gabbro/dolerite and the eastern basal contact of the Nepean ultramafic.
The survey is expected to be completed in approximately two weeks, and finalised results will be used to plan follow-up exploration and drilling.
For further information please visit: https://www.aurochminerals.com/
