Step-out Drilling Extends Jaguar South Deposit At Depth
Centaurus Metals (ASX:CTM) continues to grow its 100%- owned Jaguar Nickel Sulphide Project in the Carajás Mineral Province of northern Brazil with further development drilling success.
Managing Director, Darren Gordon, said Rrsults, particularly Jaguar South, continue to deliver consistent high-grade semi-massive and massive nickel sulphide intercepts outside the current Resource limits – demonstrating the strong potential for further Resource growth.
Recently completed drill-hole JAG-DD-21-171, on section 478300mE at Jaguar South, intersected 21.0m at 1.25% Ni from 367.0m down-hole, including 3.0m at 5.56% Ni from 369.
This intersection is one of the deepest drilled by Centaurus to-date and is located approximately 50m down-dip from the previous deepest hole on the section, JAG-DD-21-096, which intersected 12.3m at 1.17% Ni, including 3.5m at 1.82% Ni, amid other mineralised intersections in the hole.
Furthermore, recent Down-Hole Electromagnetic (DHEM) survey work at the Jaguar South Deposit has produced multiple strong late-time (Ch20+) conductor plates.
The sub-vertical plates extend to more than 270m below the deepest drilling and have strike extents of up to 260m with conductivities of 900-1200S. At Jaguar, conductor plates with these conductivity levels consistently host semi-massive and massive sulphides.
The conductor plates, modelled by industry leader Southern Geoscience, are a combination of edge-hit and off-hole anomalies that are associated with some of the deepest known intersections of semi-massive and massive nickel sulphides at the Jaguar South Deposit.
The deep drilling in this area has returned intersections of up to 26.1m at 3.55% Ni.
The conductor plates indicate that the high-grade mineralisation in these sections continues at depth. Deeper drilling is already planned to test the potential extensions as quickly as possible.
Step-out drilling and DHEM surveys are also now underway at the Onça Preta Deposit, where the deepest drilling to date has returned intercepts of 18.0m at 2.19% Ni from 318.0m and 7.9m at 2.18% Ni from 351.3m.
On section 478210mE, 90m to the west of JAG-DD-21-171, drill-hole JAG-DD-21-164, intersected 16.0m at 1.32% Ni from 363.4m down-hole, including 6.8m at 2.29% Ni.
The DHEM survey of JAG-DD-21-164 outlined a strong late-time conductor plate that continues across both sections, demonstrating continuity between the sections and further enhances the planned future underground operations.
Jaguar South Deposit
The Jaguar South Deposit is currently the biggest deposit at the Jaguar Project, hosting a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 18.7Mt at 0.97% Ni for more than 180kt of contained nickel, including an Indicated component of 7.4Mt at 1.19% Ni for 87kt of contained nickel.
The base of the March 2021 MRE is constrained by the depth of drilling only and ongoing step-out drilling continues to confirm that the mineralisation remains open at depth and along the +800m strike in both directions.
Mr Gordon said the consistently strong results being generated from step-out drilling and the quality of the newly-generated DHEM conductor plates demonstrated a robust pathway for continued resource growth from within the existing cornerstone Jaguar Deposits.
“With the new DHEM equipment now being able to survey down to 750m below surface, we have been able to extend the known DHEM conductor plates at Jaguar South more than 270m below the deepest drilling, with strike extents of up to 260m,” Mr Gordon said.
“This bodes well for future resource expansion as DHEM conductor plates in this location, with the conductivity strength seen in the DHEM surveys, are known to consistently host semi-massive and massive sulphides. An active drill program is underway to continue to test the deeper targets currently being generated from the recent DHEM survey work.
“With our exploration team consistently hitting high-grade nickel in areas where we have not drilled before, anticipation is building around
upcoming drill testing of some of the deeper targets being outlined by the current DHEM surveys. “We are also really pleased with the ongoing in-fill drill program, where consistently wide and high-grade intersections continue to be encountered.
“At Jaguar Central, we have consistently seen intersections like the 41.5m at 1.64% Ni, including 21.2m at 2.19% Ni, inside the planned open pit. We don’t believe there are too many other nickel sulphide-focused groups delivering intersections like this into the market on a consistent basis.”
Drilling at Jaguar Central, Jaguar West & Jaguar Central North Deposits In-fill drilling is continuing at the Jaguar Central, Jaguar West and Jaguar Central North Deposit to lift the resource classification within the Scoping Study pit limits into the Indicated category.
For further information please visit: https://www.centaurus.com.au
