Azure Minerals (ASX: AZS) reported that nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation was observed in the first three diamond core holes drilled at the second prospect, VC-23 target, within its 60%-owned Andover nickel-copper project in WA.
The company said that VC-23 comprises a high-order, yet separate and distinct group of surface fixed loop (FLTEM) and downhole (DHTEM) electromagnetic conductor plates located 3km northeast of the VC-07 conductor.
AZS said that Downhole electromagnetic (DHTEM) surveying of VC-23 drill holes will commence shortly. The drilling at fourth hole ANDD0012 is in progress.
Azure said that at VC-07, mineral resource drilling is continuing on the 1,050m-long and +200m-deep main conductor with hole ANDD0008 nearing the target zone.
10 EM anomalies at Andover
The company had recently identified 10 first and second-order priority electromagnetic conductor anomalies within the Andover project area based on FLTEM and DHTEM surveying.
AZS had then completed additional detailed FLTEM surveys over several of these anomalies, providing specific targets for follow-up drilling.
VC-23 target
The first of the high priority targets to be tested in the regional diamond drilling program was VC-23, which comprised several discrete conductor plates identified by both FLTEM and DHTEM surveying.
Previously, two Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes, ADRC005 and ADRC006 were drilled at VC-23, and ADRC006 had intersected three zones of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation associated with an EM conductor, including 2m @ 2.10% Ni and 0.44% Cu from 15m downhole; and 6m @ 0.45% Ni and 0.39% Cu from 22m downhole: and 6m @ 0.31% Ni and 0.55% Cu from 34m downhole.
Diamond drilling at VC-23
Azure’s diamond drilling campaign on VC-23 is currently in progress at VC-23. The company said that three holes (ANDD0009, ANDD0010, and ANDD0011) were completed for 345.4m. A fourth hole, ANDD0012, is in progress.
Nickel-copper sulphides
The company announced that Ni-Cu sulphide mineralisation was intersected at shallow depths in each of the first three diamond core holes.
AZS said that detailed logging, cutting, and sampling of the mineralised intersections from ANDD0009, 0010, and 0011 have been completed and the samples dispatched to the laboratory in Perth for analysis.
ANDD0009
Azure said that ANDD0009 targeted shallow, coincident FLTEM and DHTEM conductor plates, intersecting several zones of massive and matrix nickel-copper sulphides proximal to the geophysical anomalies, within an overall 8.6m-wide mineralised envelope commencing at 65.8m down-hole.
This included 1.2m of massive Ni-Cu sulphides from 65.8m; 0.9m of matrix to semi-massive Ni-Cu sulphides from 69.5m; and 0.7m of semi-massive to massive Ni-Cu sulphides from 73.0m.
ANDD0010
The company said that ANDD0010 intersected two broad zones of disseminated nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation approximately 40m to the south of hole ADRC006 completed by the Creasy Group in 2018, including 6.0m of disseminated Ni-Cu sulphides from 61.3m; and 10.8m of disseminated Ni-Cu sulphides from 73.2m.
ANDD0011
AZS said that ANDD0011 intersected 3.1m of weathered iron-nickel-copper-rich rocks from 4.1m downhole, which are interpreted to represent semi-oxidised sulphides.
The company said that another two narrow zones of partially oxidised nickel-copper sulphides were intersected at the base of this zone 3.1m of iron-nickel-copper gossan (completely weathered) from 4.1m and; 0.2m of massive Ni-Cu sulphides (partially oxidised sulphides) from 7.5m and; 0.2m of massive Ni-Cu sulphides (partially oxidised sulphides) from 8.3m.
Updates and next steps
Azure reported that further down-hole in ANDD0011, two zones of massive and matrix to semi-massive nickel-copper sulphides were intersected. This was immediately followed by a broad zone of disseminated and blebby sulphide mineralisation, including 1.3m of massive Ni-Cu sulphides from 32.7m (see Photo 2); and 1.7m of matrix to semi-massive Ni-Cu sulphides from 36.7m; and 21.4m of disseminated and blebby sulphides from 36.7m.
The company said that additional diamond drilling to follow-up the sulphide intersections is planned. AZS said that downhole EM surveying is also being planned.
Management comments
Managing Director Tony Rovira said: “This is a very exciting result for Azure and highlights the potential of Andover to host multiple nickel-copper sulphide deposits.
EM surveying has identified numerous conductors indicative of bedrock-hosted sulphide mineralisation and, geologically, Andover does not appear to have any physical characteristics that may generate false positives. Importantly, wherever we have drilled an EM conductor at Andover we have intersected nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation and this 100% hit-rate has continued with the successful drilling of the new targets at VC-23.
While most of our drilling in 2021 will be focused on delivering a JORC mineral resource for the VC-07 conductor several other significant, high-priority conductor targets have been identified and drilling of these will be tested concurrently.”