Azure Minerals Limited (ASX: AZS) has announced that it has intersected multiple visible massive and semi-massive nickel-copper sulphides from resource definition drilling at the VC-07 East prospect within its 60% owned Andover project in Western Australia.
Key results from the 22 new drill holes reported include:
- Hole ANDD0055: 46.2m of Ni-Cu sulphides from 528.0m
- Hole ANDD0067: 21.8m of Ni-Cu sulphides from 404.6m
- Hole ANDD0068: 37.6m of Ni-Cu sulphides from 313.2m
- Hole ANDD0069: 18.7m of Ni-Cu sulphides from 360.0m
- Hole ANDD0073: 20.1m of Ni-Cu sulphides from 298.5m
- Hole ANDD0076: 14.8m of Ni-Cu sulphides from 247.6m
Azure reports that it has undertaken pXRF scans of the drill core, with results confirming “high grades” of nickel and copper.
Sulphide deposits are now confirmed over 400m of strike at VC-07 East, extending from 50m to 500m in depth.
In-fill drilling at the prospect has now been expanded, with completion of drilling scheduled for late 2021, and maiden MRE expected in 2022.
Resource definition drilling at VC-07
Azure has completed 80 diamond drill holes at Andover for a total of 36,816m, with 72 of these at VC-07 along with 8 holes at VC-23.
Plan view of the VC-07 prospect displaying diamond drill hole locationsThe company reports that three rigs are currently drilling on a 24/7 basis at the prospect, with a primary goal of completing resource definition leading up to its planned maiden MRE in 2022.
As with many other miners, Azure is reporting assay delays of 8 to 10 weeks as a result of laboratory bottlenecks.
Andover Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project
The 70km² Andover project is situated 35km south-east of Karratha in West Australia’s Pilbara region, and is serviced by substantial infrastructure including airports, ports, railway, grid power, sealed highways, and support services.
Exploration at the project has provided evidence of significant nickel, copper and cobalt sulphide mineralisation.
Andover shares geological characteristics with the Fraser Range Province along with the Julimar Intrusive Complex, and is within close range of the Carlow Castle gold-copper-cobalt deposit, the Radio Hill nickel-copper mine, and the Sherlock Bay nickel deposit.
“We’re excited with the ongoing success of our resource definition drilling program…with most holes into and around this deposit intersecting substantial nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation”
Management comments
Azure Minerals Managing Director Tony Rovira said: “We’re excited with the ongoing success of our resource definition drilling program which continues to significantly increase the size and scale of VC-07 East, with most holes into and around this deposit intersecting substantial nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation.
Importantly, recent drilling has returned multiple good looking Ni-Cu sulphide intersections in the upper part of the deposit, bringing the Ni-Cu sulphide mineralisation to within 50m of surface. In addition to this near- surface mineralisation, drilling continues to expand the deposit down-dip and along strike to the west, with the mineralised system remaining open in these directions.”
Images: Azure Minerals Limited
