Lunnon Metals (ASX:LM8) reports it has re-logged, cut, and re-sampled over 4,100m of historical WMC Resources diamond drill (DD) core at the Silver Lake-Fisher Project to potentially double its nickel rights tenure at the Kambalda Nickel Project in Western Australia.
The company says re-assaying of the historical Silver Lake diamond core has confirmed that the Silver Lake Hanging Wall (SLHW) represents a priority drill target for an upcoming drilling program at the project.
Lunnon Metals notes results provide confirmation of the accuracy and suitability of the historical WMC assays database for ongoing use in the company’s exploration and Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) activities at the project.
Results are also expected to provide the basis to estimate and report a JORC Code (2012) compliant MRE for the SLHW whilst enabling surface DD to vector towards potential ‘high-grade’ shoots.
‘Significant’ re-assay intercepts include hole KA11-34 with 3m @ 2% nickel (Ni) from 61.40m; hole KA11-89 with 0.69m @ 8.16% Ni from 68.36m; hole KA11-106 with 1.48m @ 8.04% Ni from 64.18m; and hole KA11-121 with 1.44m @ 10.23% Ni from 72m.
In addition to these results, re-assaying of nickel mineralisation on the main komatiite-footwall basal contact beneath the SLHW recorded 11m @ 0.64% Ni (0.5% Ni cut-off from 548m) from hole KD632; and 0.90m @ 2.44% Ni (1% Ni cut-off from 640.60m) from hole KD633B.
Surface drilling and causeway construction are expected to begin shortly following the completion of arrangements with St Ives Gold Mining under the governing mineral rights agreement, which has given Lunnon access to the surface area above the SLHW target.
Commenting on the results, Lunnon Metals Managing Director Ed Ainscough says: “We were confident the existing geoscientific data was accurate, but it is still pleasing to demonstrate that to current standards. The historical WMC core is a fantastic resource; it saves time and resources, can add important metal to our inventory while allowing us to allocate more funds to our own drilling.
“The historical WMC core is a fantastic resource; it saves time and resources, can add important metal to our inventory while allowing us to allocate more funds to our own drilling”
As we have shown at the Foster nickel mine, the ability to add Mineral Resources independent of the drill rig differentiates Lunnon Metals, which when coupled with the progression of the Baker discovery and the exciting targets at the SLHW and Long South ‘Gap’ prospects, promises strong newsflow throughout 2023.”
The company also notes the characteristics of the SLHW share similarities to the Baker deposit, which was presented to the company in the East Cooee area prior to first drilling of that area in October 2021, and its subsequent discovery as a ‘high-grade’ deposit in January 2022.
In addition, based on learnings from the Baker deposit, relogging and re-assay exercise has provided vital geoscientific and multi-elemental data which has facilitated the company to target potential ‘high-grade’ shoots within the SLHW prospect for the upcoming DD program.
With the DD program nearing, Lunnon Metals announces further results from the historical core program (HCP) for other targets at Silver Lake-Fisher will be reported as appropriate.
Lunnon Metals is an ASX-listed company which currently holds a 100% interest in the mineral rights at the Foster and Baker elements of the Kambalda project in Western Australia. The company is actively working at the Silver Lake-Fisher project which, when acquired and combined with the Foster-Baker Project in October 2022, represents a doubling of the company’s nickel rights tenure within the Kambalda project since listing in June 2021.
The project is situated within a world-renowned nickel district which has produced in excess of 1.4 million tonnes (Mt) of nickel metal since its discovery in 1966 by WMC.
Other assets included in the company’s exploration portfolio include the Jan Shaft mine in Western Australia.
Images: Lunnon Metals Ltd
