Thick Intercepts Of Elevated Nickel Located
Assay results from Auroch Minerals Limited’s (ASX:AOU) recently completed first-pass AC drill programme at the Valdez Prospectwithin the company’s Leinster Nickel Project in Western Australia have confirmed the location of thick intercepts of elevated nickel within a prospective and highly-fertile channel.
A full litho-geochemical review and model of the results has successfully defined a highly-fertile ultramafic (UM) rock unit within an embayment or channel with a strike length of over 150m. Thick zones of anomalously high nickel values were intersected within this prospective channel, including:
- 9m @ 0.41% Ni from 33m, including 3m @ 0.52% Ni from 39m (VZAC013)
- 6m @ 0.37% Ni from 48m (VZAC008)
- 6m @ 0.35% Ni from 66m (VZAC009).
The significant intersections of nickel are hosted within a high MgO ultramafic unit in a modelled basal channel which lies above aeromagnetic anomalies, and are also coincident with a strong EM conductor defined by a historic surface moving-loop electromagnetic (MLEM) survey.
Managing Director, Aidan Platel, said all of these characteristics are favourable for massive nickel sulphide mineralisation and hence further enhance the potential of the Valdez target.
A follow-up RC drilling campaign to test these new targets and acquire down-hole EM (DHEM) data to help vector in on potential nickel sulphide mineralisation has already been planned and permitted, and will commence within the next two weeks.
“Since its acquisition, the Valdez Prospect has been considered a high-potential exploration target, given its location and proximity to Saracen’s high-grade Waterloo Nickel Mine,” Mr Platel said.
“The company’s exploration strategy is once again proving effective in advancing early stage targets to high-priority drill targets.
“The excellent nickel results from the recent AC drilling of the weathered profile really highlights the potential of significant massive nickel sulphide mineralisation underneath in the fresh rock, which we look forward to testing with the upcoming RC drilling phase within the next two weeks.”
The aim of the ~4,400m AC programme completed in mid-July was to characterise the ultramafic package at Valdez, in particular where it overlies the strong MLEM anomaly.
The ultramafic unit at the Valdez Prospect is the same unit which hosts Saracen Mineral’s Waterloo Nickel Mine along strike. Historic drilling (predominately RAB), partially defined a north-south -striking ultramafic unit overlying the MLEM anomaly; however, the historic data was too shallow and widely spaced and hence insufficient for detailed characterisation or identification of any possible fertile channels.
Given the deep nature of the MLEM anomaly, Auroch implemented the same systematic exploration strategy which has provided recent success at its Saints Nickel Project, and completed 11 AC lines across the ultramafic unit comprising 61 drill-holes for 4,411m.
The next exploration phase at Valdez will consist of 3-5 RC drill-holes over the 150m strike length of the channel. The holes will aim to intersect the basal ultramafic-mafic contact at a (down-hole) depth of 150-200m, well into the fresh rock, and will extend a further 50m into the mafic unit.
All holes will be surveyed with DHEM to identify any potential conductive bodies (e.g. massive sulphides) within the channel area. The drilling campaign has been permitted and is scheduled to commence within the next two weeks.
The diamond drilling programme at the Saints Nickel Project is ongoing, with initial results expected to be received by the end of next week.
