Set To Undertake Mineral Resource Drill Out Campaign In WA
Azure Minerals Limited (ASX:AZS) is preparing to accelerate a major resource drilling campaign at the Andover Nickel-Copper Project in Western Australia after receiving a critical approval.
The company and representatives of the Traditional Owners of the Andover country have worked together to complete archaeological and ethnographical surveys for ground disturbing and clearing activities at the VC-07 prospect in the Andover Nickel-Copper Project.
The completion of the heritage surveys, together with approval of an updated Program of Work by the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, has enabled the company to prepare all proposed drill sites and access tracks required for it to complete a comprehensive drill-out of the VC-07 nickel-copper (Ni-Cu) sulphide deposit and produce a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate.
To ensure full compliance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA), the wishes of the Traditional Owners, and Azure’s Code of Conduct, Azure commissioned an archaeological and ethnographic work program clearance heritage survey over the proposed Stage 2 drilling area.
The archaeological / ethnographic heritage survey was conducted to a work programme clearance standard, which aims to:
• identify any archaeological and ethnographic heritage values within the requested survey area;
• provide Azure with preliminary boundaries of any areas of cultural value within the work programme;
• negotiate deviations around areas of cultural sensitivity where possible so that Azure can proceed with works that will not impact those heritage places; and
• provide Azure with relevant and informed heritage management recommendations for heritage values identified within requested survey area.
As a result of the work clearance survey, the areas required for Azure’s Stage 2 drilling programme were assessed as being archaeologically and ethnographically clear for works to proceed.
A 30,000m diamond drilling programme is in progress (with approximately 11,000m completed to date) to define a mineral resource of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation represented by the VC-07 electromagnetic conductor.
This body is interpreted to extend east-west over a 1,050m strike length with a down-dip extent of at least 300m-400m and remains open to depth.
The company said these dimensions highlight the potential of this body to represent a substantial nickel-copper sulphide deposit and the drilling program planned for 2021 is focused on defining a JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate. I
nitial drilling is defining the along-strike and depth extents of the mineralisation, to be followed by closer-spaced, in-fill drilling to assess internal continuity and variability.
