Western Mines Group (ASX:WMG) has released geochemical assay results for the diamond tail of hole MTRC009 at Mulga Tank in Western Australia’s eastern Goldfields, with results showing extensive magmatic nickel sulphide mineralisation throughout the hole.
The hole was drilled as a diamond tail from Phase One reverse-circulation drilling, funded in part through the WA Exploration Incentive Scheme Round 31 award.
The diamond core tail intersected cumulative nickel sulphide mineralisation of 820m @ 0.30% nickel, 135 parts per million cobalt, 67ppm copper, and 27 parts per billion platinum plus palladium.
The hole returned a ‘higher-grade’ mineralisation zone of 116m @ 0.50% nickel, 164ppm cobalt, 93ppm copper and 59ppb platinum plus palladium from 1,303m, including 38m @ 0.71% nickel, 207ppm cobalt, 188ppm copper and 0.10 grams per tonne (g/t) platinum plus palladium from 1,324m.
Within the basal zone, 12 one-metre samples returned over 1% nickel, including 1m @ 2.34% nickel, 626ppm cobalt, 233ppm copper and 0.15g/t platinum plus palladium from 1,382m.
Managing Director Caedmon Marriott says that Western Mines believes that “the Mulga Tank Ultramafic Complex could host a very significant perseverance-style massive sulphide deposit somewhere on its basal contact, and results like these from MTRC009 further reinforce that view”.
“This isn’t just heavily disseminated sulphide mineralisation, it’s large globules and remobilised sulphide segregations and veins,” Marriott says.
“These observations show that all the processes have worked to form basal massive sulphide deposits in this zone and that the system has very good tenor — with patchy globules or veinlets still able to generate 1 or 2% nickel results over 1m sample intervals with less than 10–20% sulphide content.”
Western Mines has completed nine deep diamond holes across the main body of the Mulga Tank Complex. The company says the sulphide enriched basal zone can be traced laterally over distances of several hundreds of metres to kilometres, revealing the architecture of the complex with horizons generally moderately dipping to the east and slightly plunging to the north.
The company is finalising plans for a seismic survey over the complex following a recent $250,000 Exploration Incentive Scheme geophysics grant. The proposed ~100 line-kilometre, ~35km² active seismic survey will be instrumental in visualising the three-dimensional architecture of the complex and mapping the prospective basal contact and possible feeder vent.
Western Mines continues to make progress with its ongoing Phase 5 drilling program. The rig has recently completed drilling reverse-circulation holes MTRC078 to MTRC081 around previous hole MTRC046 and MTRC082 near hole MTRC066.
The company holds a mineral resource estimate of 1,968 million tonnes at 0.27% nickel, containing over 5.3 million tonnes of nickel.
Western Mines Group is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and discovery of gold and nickel sulphide deposits in Western Australia.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Western Mines Group
