Julimar Project Continues To Excite
Chalice Mining Limited (ASX: CHN) has obtained significant new drilling and metallurgical testwork results from ongoing exploration and evaluation activities at its 100%-owned Julimar Nickel-Copper-Platinum Group Element (PGE) Project, located ~70km north-east of Perth in Western Australia.
The step-out and resource definition drill program at the >1.9km x 0.9km Gonneville Deposit is continuing with six rigs. A total of 160 diamond drill holes and 420 RC drill holes (including RC pre- collars with diamond tails) for ~155,000m have been completed to date at the Project.
Assay results have now been reported for 132 diamond and 365 RC holes (including RC pre-collars with diamond tails). New results have been received for drilling targeting:
- The high-grade G4, G6, G7 and G11 zones at the eastern (footwall) contact between the Gonneville Intrusion and surrounding meta-sediments;
- Infill and down-dip extensions to the high-grade G1-G9 zones; and,
- The non-magnetic pyroxenite and leucogabbro-rich north-western part of the Gonneville Intrusion.
Within the 113 new drill holes reported in this announcement, there are:
- mineralised intervals (>4m width and >0.3g/t Pd cut-off grade);
- 216 high-grade Pd +/- Pt-Au-Ni-Cu-Co mineralised intervals (>2m width and >1g/t Pd cut-off grade), including:
- 52 high-grade Pd-Ni-Cu +/- Pt-Au-Co intervals (>2m width, >1g/t Pd and >0.5% Ni+Cu cut-off grade).
All released assay results have now been finalised and provided to CSA Global, who are completing the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and a pit-shell optimisation study for MRE reporting purposes. The maiden MRE is expected to be released in mid Q4 2021.
Assay results are pending for a further 85 completed drill holes, with lab turnaround times currently averaging around four weeks.
Managing Director and CEO, Alex Dorsch, said that in addition to ongoing resource definition drilling, the company has advanced metallurgical testwork on both the sulphide and oxide mineralisation at Gonneville.
Further results have been received from locked cycle flotation testwork on high-grade and disseminated sulphide composites as well as from leach testwork on oxide composites.
The final Conservation Management Plan (Stage 2 CMP) for initial drilling at the Hartog-Baudin Targets was submitted in early September after extensive consultation. The Stage 2 CMP outlines the environmental protocols for the low-impact drilling program, which does not require any mechanised vegetation clearance.
The company is currently finalising its Environmental Management Plans, which are designed to minimise any significant impacts from drilling, ahead of expected endorsement by the Department and approval to access the Julimar State Forest in the coming weeks.
“Drilling has delivered further new high-grade results, once again reinforcing the scale and significance of the Julimar discovery just weeks away from our maiden Mineral Resource Estimate,” Mr Dorsch said.
“The exciting new results reported today show that the high-grade zones have a significant plunge extent yet to be tested, with approximately 1,000m of extent between the limit of drilling and the state forest boundary. There is still a significant amount of exploration drilling to be done before we understand the true scale of the Gonneville Deposit.
“We have now received all the assay results that will be included in the initial pit-constrained Mineral Resource Estimate and work is underway with our consultants, CSA Global, with the maiden Resource expected to be released in mid Q4.
“Given the complexity of the geology and the range of mineralisation styles observed at Gonneville, we are looking forward to the results from the resource modelling process to determine where Gonneville currently sits in terms of scale and quality.
“Our initial metallurgical investigations also continue to deliver promising results, with the sequential flotation flowsheet for the high-grade sulphide zones firming as the preferred processing pathway. The shallow nature of the high-grade sulphide zones mean that the early stages of development will focus on processing this material with a relatively simple flowsheet. The focus now shifts to the disseminated sulphide material, with initial testwork now underway to determine the optimal flowsheet.
“After lengthy consultation with the WA State Government, we are also pleased to see that our low- impact approach to initial drilling in the State Forest is now close to being approved. We have received positive feedback on our approach to minimising disturbance and we are eagerly awaiting final approvals for drilling to commence at the >6.5km long Hartog Target in the coming weeks.”
For further information please visit: https://www.chalicemining.com/
