Pivotal Metals (ASX:PVT) has completed drilling and a follow-up downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) survey at the Shanty Lake copper-nickel target within its Belleterre Project portfolio in Québec, Canada.
This exploration update includes the conclusion of drilling at hole 26-PIV-08, which intended to test the centre of a conductive plate interpreted in a prior electromagnetic (EM) survey.
Pivotal established a 400m by 150m drill target that dips 70–160 Siemens conductivity bedrock conductor starting from 150m depth from surface fixed-loop electromagnetic survey last year.
Drilling identified mafic volcanic, microgabbro, and iron formation, with disseminated and blebby pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite mineralisation.
Pivotal says that although drilling intersected these results, no significant assays were returned from laboratory analysis.
Meanwhile, the DHEM survey identified a higher conductivity anomaly that spans 350m by 140m, which is now interpreted to lie above hole 26-PIV-08.
The company says this updated survey provides a “more constrained geophysical model and has materially refined the interpretation of the Shanty Lake conductor”, with a clearer drill target.
Managing Director Ivan Fairhall says while the drill hole didn’t return a significant assay result, the company may have “just missed the target”.
“The downhole EM indicates that the conductor has a greater conductivity but is shallower than the original surface interpretation,” Fairhall says.
“The exploration thesis remains, and we now have a materially more constrained interpretation of the Shanty Lake conductive target to incorporate into our wider Belleterre targeting and follow-up drilling program.”
Pivotal is awaiting assays for almost 1,000m at the Lorraine Mine East target, after drilling across five new targets was recently completed.
Meanwhile, over at the Horden Project, Pivotal is nearing completion of its Scoping Study. The company expects to release the study shortly, which is in its final review stages.
The Horden Lake Project is described as an ‘advanced’ copper deposit, in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Québec.
Pivotal is focused on advancing the Horden Lake Project to become a large-scale, long-life, open-pit copper operation by growing the resource and de-risking the project across engineering, environmental, and economic matters.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Main Image: Pivotal Metals
