Recharge Metals Limited (ASX:REC) is reporting ‘surprising’ assay results from 2 diamond holes at its Brandy Hill South Project located within the Archaean age Gullewa Greenstone Belt in Western Australia.
Broad, shallow zones of nickel and cobalt mineralisation have been identified in 2 drillholes associated with Salt Creek Shear, and hosted ultramafic rocks.
The results from diamond drilling in holes BHRDC018 and BHRDC019 in May 2022 also show broad zones of silver mineralisation and multiple narrow zones of copper mineralisation identified in both holes.
Recharge’s primary focus is the development of the Brandy Hill South Prospect, where it is aiming to delineate economically significant copper and gold resources.
Recharge Managing Director Brett Wallace said the company is very excited to report not only multiple zones of copper mineralisation and broad zones of silver intercepts, but thick, shallow intercepts of nickel and cobalt mineralisation from the two remaining diamond holes.
“We are also very pleased to report that nickel and cobalt was also present at high grades in the RC pre-collars holes and three other holes in close proximity to the Salt Creek Shear.
“When the pre-collars and diamond tails are considered in continuity, both holes 18 and 19 comprise of over 100 metres of nickel and cobalt at highly significant grades and from shallower depths.
“Given our copper focus, this nickel and cobalt discovery has been a very pleasant surprise”
“Given our copper focus, this nickel and cobalt discovery has been a very pleasant surprise.
“We are also very excited to have commenced our RC and diamond drilling programs to assess priority DHTEM targets and test the grades at the heart of this, and other conductors.”
Petrology and micro-XRF analysis results are pending for core samples submitted from BHD026, BHRCD018, and BHRCD019.
Recharge reports it has commenced a further drill program designed to test the conductors and the strike extension of mineralisation in both directions and at depth.
The drilling program includes 5 diamond holes to be completed on high order DHTEM targets and reverse circular (RC) drillholes designed to test anomalous copper results from historic aircore drilling programs.
The maiden diamond drilling program at Brandy Hill South saw 3 diamond tails drilled for a total of 1,150m, including 887m of diamond core.
Significant results returned from BHD026 included:
- 93m @ 0.35% Cu from 209m, including 0.30m @ 2.66% Cu
- 7.1m @ 0.34% Cu from 80.9m
- 10.4m @ 0.31% Cu from 313m
- 4m @ 0.37% Cu from 323m
Assays from the 2 remaining diamond tail holes have now been received.
Each hole intercepted board zones of nickel (≥2,000ppm Ni) and cobalt (≥1,000ppm Co) mineralisation, plus silver (≥1g/t Ag) mineralisation as well as multiple intercepts of copper mineralisation (≥2,500ppm Cu), with results including:
- BHRCD018
- 76.1m @ 0.24% Ni and 0.105% Co from 96.9m
- 6m @ 0.31% Cu from 141m
- 1m @ 1.41% Cu from 200m
- 5m @ 0.25% Cu from 310m
- 15m @ 2.4g/t Ag from 140m
- 58m @ 1.5g/t Ag from 189m, including 1.2m @ 16g/t Ag from 200m
- 129m @ 1.2g/t Ag from 257m, including 13g/t Ag from 301m
- BHRCD019
- 11.2m @ 0.23% Ni and 0.102% Co from 91m
- 57m @ 0.25% Ni and 0.107% Co from 109m
- 9.2m @ 0.43% Cu from 171m, including 1.2m @ 1/72% Cu from 173m
- 6m @ 0.25% Cu from 254m
- 10m @ 0.29% Cu from 296m
- 8.1m @ 0.32% Cu from 339.1m, including 1m @ 1.14% Cu from 336m
- 6.3m @ 5g/t Ag from 102m, including 1.3m @ 17.6g/t Ag from 107m
- 197.15m @ 1.6g/t Ag from 162.85m, including 1.2m @ 18g/t Ag from 173m
- 16.2m @ 1.7g/t Ag from 377m, including 1m @ 12g/t Ag from 390m.
BHRCD018 and BHRCD019 are the only holes that Recharge has drilled that have intersected the Salt Creek Shear.
Nickel and cobalt mineralisation occurred in both holes through variably sheared volcanoclastic, high-Mg basalt to ultramafic, and mafic lithologies, including the transitional weathering profile.
Copper and silver mineralisation appears restricted to intermediate/mafic lithologies more distal to shear zone.
BHRCD018 was drilled to a depth of 393m, and drilling progressed through a sequence of ultramafic to high-Mg volcanics, intermediate volcanics and terminated in gabbro.
The entire sequence was intruded by several silicified feldspar-porphyry dykes.
Observations in core noted quartz stockwork zones containing massive sulphide and brecciated zones of blebby sulhpides.
Sulphide mineralisation includes pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalopyrite (copper-sulphide).
Drilling also intersected zones of intense hydrothermal alterations including silica, silica-carbonate and chlorite throughout the lithological sequence.
BHRCD019 was drilled to a depth of 399m, and drilling progressed through a similar lithological sequence as that encountered in drillhole BHRCD018.
The major differences encountered in BHRCD019 were the intersection of a distinct fault zone from 98.17m to 103.2m downhole, and a silica-chlorite schist from 174.20m to 190.75m downhole.
Also logged was a zone of intense quartz-sulphide brecciation between 223.60m and 226.15m downhole.
The latter also coincided with a contact between intermediate and mafic lithologies.
Similar mineralisations and alteration styles to that encountered in BHRCD018 were noted in BHRCD019.
The Brandy Hill South Project, located in the Murchison Province, Yilgarn Craton was acquired by Recharge from Revolution Mining in 2021.
In 2019, Revolution drilled three shallow reconnaissance RC drillholes aimed at proof of concept testing of the inferred strike of the Salt Creek Shear, and all three holes intersected significant copper mineralisation over a substantial strike length with all holes finished in copper mineralisation.
Recharge acquired the project based on exploration potential of the southern extension of the Gullewa Greenstone Belt and the continuation of the main geological structure within the Brandy Hills South Project.
