Peako (ASX:PKO) reports that the recent reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Eastman Platinum Group Element (PGE) Project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia has now been completed.
Peako notes that the 35 RC drillholes for 4,138m were drilled as a first-pass test of PGE endowment across the ultramafic stratigraphy along the Eastman Intrusion’s 16.5km strike length where historical data and anomalous PGE intercepts indicate an extensive PGE mineralised system.
All of these prospects (with the exception of the Longhorn and Blackadder Prospects) are coincident with historically defined VTEM anomalies and soil geochemistry anomalies in Pt, Pd, and Au.
The Longhorn and Blackadder Prospects are located beneath transported cover and have been defined as extensions of the Eastman Intrusion using aeromagnetic data.
The company reports that these prospects are located on the central and western portions of the Eastman Intrusion. The presence of the targeted ultramafic-mafic sequence has been confirmed by the drilling at all 8 prospects.
Drilling also intersected chromite horizons and minor disseminated sulphides up to 5% (pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite) in some locations within the ultramafic rock units.
Historically, the main model for exploration at the Eastman PGE project has been stratiform mineralisation (PGEs in chromite layers within the ultramafic rocks).
Two new mineralisation styles have been identified at the Eastman PGE project providing broader mineralisation envelope targets
Peako reports that 2 new mineralisation styles have been identified at the Eastman PGE project providing broader mineralisation envelope targets which have been tested by the RC drilling program; stratabound mineralisation and carbonate-hosted mineralisation.
Peako’s Technical Director Dr Paul Kitto commented: “Both stratabound and carbonate-hosted mineralisation models provide larger potential target styles for PGE mineralisation relative to the limited thin horizons of stratiform chromite PGE mineralisation which was the focus of past explorers.”
Peako identified the potential for wider PGE mineralisation disseminated through the ultramafic horizons within the intrusive complex (stratabound mineralisation) as recently identified at the nearby Panton Sill deposit (Future Metals NL) and Lamboo PGE Project (Pantoro Limited).
A key objective of Peako’s RC drilling program was to define and undertake preliminary testing of the wider stratabound PGE mineralisation potential across the length of the 16.5km of the Eastman Intrusive Complex (EIC).
Peako’s Eastman Intrusion is a large underexplored intrusive complex that Peako considers prospective for a major PGE resource.
It is located within the Central Zone of the Halls Creek Orogen, a province with established PGE endowment.
Images: Peako Limited
