Potential For Deeper Targets At Investigators
Western Australian nickel company St George Mining Limited (ASX: SGQ) has provided an update on the drilling programme in progress at its flagship high- grade nickel-copper sulphide Mt Alexander Project, located in the north-eastern Goldfields.
MAD180 is the first deep hole designed to test the large conductive feature identified at Investigators by the MT/AMT surveys.
An ultramafic unit was intersected in MAD180 between 22.5m to 28.8m downhole. Oxidised nickel-copper sulphides were observed between 28.65m to 28.8m. The mineralisation was situated on the basal contact with granite – a textbook setting for nickel sulphide mineralisation across the Cathedrals Belt.
The drill hole collar for MAD180 is approximately 500m to the north of the existing shallow nickel-copper sulphides intersected in the Cathedrals Belt. The intersection of a shallow mineralised ultramafic unit in this location suggests the potential presence of an ultramafic belt that lies parallel and to the north of the Cathedrals Belt.
Potentially this parallel belt could also dip to the north – as seen with the Cathedrals Belt where mineralised ultramafic commences at 30m below surface and dips to the north at approximately 40 degrees.
Further exploration will be planned to investigate the extent of this parallel ultramafic unit and whether it has the potential to host significant nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation.
MAD180 is targeting a large conductive feature that is located down-plunge of the shallow high-grade nickel- copper sulphide deposits at Investigators. The modelling of the MT/AMT survey data indicates that the mineralised ultramafic unit at Investigators is interrupted by thick granites at about 250m below surface with the large conductive feature appearing below the granites.
Meanwhile, a second diamond drill rig arrived at site earlier this week and commenced drilling of MAD182 at the Cathedrals Prospect. This rig is operating on a single shift until arrival of additional crew next week.
MAD182 is designed to be drilled to a downhole depth of 700m to test a large conductive feature identified by the MT/AMT surveys.
“Notwithstanding our inability to complete the drilling of MAD180 as planned, the rocks intersected in the hole so far show positive signs for the potential in deeper areas of Investigators,” John Prineas, St George Mining’s Executive Chairman,said.
“This remains a compelling target and we look forward to getting MAD180 back on track to test the large conductive anomaly at Investigators.
“We are pleased that drilling is also underway at the Cathedrals Prospect following arrival of the second diamond rig.
“We are targeting another deep conductive feature that is ideally situated for the potential down-plunge extension of the shallow high-grade mineralisation.”
