Arcadia Minerals (ASX:AM7) outlines six new ultramafic bodies and plans about 1,200m of diamond drilling at its TVC Kum-Kum Polymetallic Project in southern Namibia.
The program is set to target three sites within the Tantalite Valley Complex, subject to funding. Arcadia plans about 400m of HQ drilling at Site 1 to replicate and confirm historical results, alongside four holes of approximately 200m each across Sites 2 and 7.
The company says the targets stem from its analysis of hyperspectral imagery, geological mapping, petrography, and geochemical datasets. Mapping supported by 157 samples identified eight ultramafic bodies, including six that had not previously been recognised.
Site 7 measures more than 80m thick and dips towards Site 2. Both are capped by anorthosite, which Arcadia interprets as evidence of a single layered structure forming a trough beneath the valley.
The company notes the geometry is comparable to the stratabound Merensky-type setting of South Africa’s Bushveld Igneous Complex. However, the newly mapped bodies across exploration licence EPL 5047 remain undrilled.
Historical drilling between 1972 and 1976 returned results including 16m @ 0.65% nickel (Ni) and 0.16% copper (Cu), 6m @ 0.61% Ni and 0.30% Cu, and 2.44m @ 0.62% Ni and 0.30% Cu.
Arcadia’s previous resampling of historical core also returned up to 0.71% Ni, 0.28% Cu, 0.84 grams per tonne palladium (Pd), 0.4g/t platinum (Pt), and 0.26g/t gold (Au) from orthopyroxenite.
Detailed mapping is underway to finalise collar locations for two holes at each of Sites 2 and 7. Arcadia will also extend surface geochemical sampling across Sites 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 to rank further targets.
The company previously found that an orientation sampling program reproduced a historical Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) nickel anomaly, supporting the use of the method across the remaining targets.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Arcadia Minerals
