Western Mines Group has continued to build a strong case for a significant higher-grade nickel sulphide system at its Mulga Tank project in Western Australia’s eastern goldfields, after drilling returned impressive assays grading up to 2.26 per cent nickel and 0.35 per cent copper.
The latest results come from six reverse-circulation (RC) drill holes, including the first assays gathered from the company’s current phase five drilling program.
The standout result delivered intersected 4 metres grading 0.85 per cent nickel from 293m, including a one-metre hit at 2.26 per cent nickel, 0.10 per cent cobalt, 0.35 per cent copper and 68 parts per billion (ppb) combined platinum and palladium from 295m.
That landed as part of a cumulative run of 182m grading 0.30 per cent nickel, 131 parts per million (ppm) cobalt, 147ppm copper and 16ppb combined platinum and palladium.
Another strong result came from one of the last holes of the phase four program, which returned 3m at 1.18 per cent nickel from 189m, including 1m at 2.25 per cent nickel, 708ppm cobalt, 0.21 per cent copper and 0.17ppm combined platinum and palladium from 190m.
The hole delivered a cumulative run of 173m at 0.31 per cent nickel, 139ppm cobalt, 94ppm copper and 21ppb combined platinum and palladium.
Management says the results are particularly encouraging because the higher-grade zones occur within broad envelopes of disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation already outlined across the project.
The two standout RC holes have returned some robust results, including a higher-grade intersection associated with a richer sulphide zone. This interval can be seen in several holes across the central area and traced over several hundred metres. We’re looking to target thicker intersections of this ~2% Ni zone in the top ~100-200m of the Complex.
The remaining holes reported from phase four also delivered extensive mineralised intervals, reinforcing the scale and continuity of the Mulga Tank system.
The assays follow last month’s deep diamond drilling success from one hole that bored through 116m assaying 0.50 per cent nickel from 1303m, including 38m at 0.71 per cent nickel, 207ppm cobalt, 188ppm copper and 0.10ppm combined platinum and palladium from 1324m.
That run also included several one-metre samples going better than one per cent nickel and peaking at 2.34 per cent nickel.
Management says the company was increasingly focused on tracking extensions to a series of shallow higher-grade zones that now occur across the core of the complex.
According to Dr Marriott, more than 30 shallow intersections grading above one per cent nickel have now been identified across an area of roughly two square kilometres, providing mounting evidence that Mulga Tank is more than simply a large low-grade disseminated nickel deposit.
The company believes the high-grade hits represent enriched sulphide accumulations that settled within successive magma flows and may point towards larger concentrations of semi-massive or massive sulphides.
The company’s phase five RC drilling is nearing completion, with the rig shortly converting to its diamond drilling configuration to test two shallow follow-up holes near a previous standout RC drill hole.
The company then plans to begin a seismic survey in August, funded under a West Australian government exploration incentive scheme (EIS). The survey aims to map the three-dimensional architecture of the entire ultramafic complex and identify potential feeder structures and massive sulphide targets.
Western Mines’ giant Mulga Tank deposit already hosts a mineral resource estimated to contain more than 5.3 million tonnes of nickel and is regarded by the company as potentially Australia’s largest nickel sulphide deposit.
The company believes its ongoing drilling and geophysical work could uncover higher-grade components within the broader mineralised system.
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