Australian exploration and development company Mantle Minerals (ASX:MTL) has confirmed ‘extensive’ nickel-copper mineralisation at the Pardoo Nickel Sulphide Project, located in Western Australia.
The company says this mineralisation was confirmed by a second phase of drilling at the Highway nickel deposit within the Pardoo project. Results returned wide intercepts of up to 68m grading 0.44% nickel (Ni), and 0.1% copper (Cu).
These intersections also confirm the results from phase one drilling and position the company to prepare for a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in the first quarter of 2023.
Commenting on the drill results, Mantle Minerals Executive Chairman Nick Poll says: “Our recent drilling at the Highway nickel sulphide deposit has provided great results for us to get on with calculating a JORC resource and sets up to explore for more nickel sulphides along strike strike and elsewhere on the tenement.”
Mantle Minerals previously announced the completion of the 20-hole reverse circulation (RC) drilling program for 4,157m at the Highway deposit in September 2022. The company says this drilling was designed to infill existing drilling, increase the confidence in geological and grade continuity within the deposit, and to hopefully convert a substantial part of the mineralisation to JORC indicated resource status.
“Our recent drilling at the Highway nickel sulphide deposit has provided great results for us to get on with calculating a JORC resource”
The company reports it has completed geological modelling for the Highway deposit, including the new drilling intersections which will underpin a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) to be completed by the end of Q1 2023.
Furthermore, Mantle is currently reinterpreting surface and downhole geophysics to target additional nickel sulphide mineralisation and hopefully ‘higher’ grades along strike from the Highway deposit.
Recent petrographic and lithogeochemistry work on thin sections and multi-element assays suggest that the nickel mineralisation at Highway ‘strongly’ correlates with the occurrence of magnetite and has a detectable magnetic signature.
The company reports this provides encouragement for follow-up on existing downhole electromagnetic data from Highway, to locate ‘higher’ grade nickel mineralisation along strike and at depth.
The Pardoo project comprises exploration tenements E45/5827 and E45/4671, and is located about 120km east of Port Hedland in Western Australia.
Mantle Minerals is an Australian exploration and development company focused on its projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. These projects include the Roberts Hill Gold Project, and the Pardoo Nickel Sulphide Project.
Images: Mantle Minerals Ltd & iStock
