Sabre Resources (ASX:SBR) reports the presence of ‘high-grade’ nickel grades and sulphides in ultramafic rocks following a reverse circulation (RC) drilling operation at its Nepean South Nickel Project in WA’s Eastern Goldfields.
The results, generated by the first 12 of 18 RC drillholes for 2,382m, have defined a broad nickel-enriched zone above bedrock ultramafic nickel sulphide targets, with ‘significant’ intersections including:
- Hole NSRC0012: 8m @ 1.01% Ni from 28m, incl. 3m @ 1.26% Ni
- Hole NSRC0002: 8m @ 0.78% Ni from 32m, incl. 4m @ 1.12% Ni
- Hole NSRC0004: 4m @ 0.20% Ni and 28.4% MgO from end of hole (134m-138m)
Recent drilling conducted at the Nepean South tenement was designed to test the vicinity of high nickel results in previous shallow rotary air blast (RAB) drilling of up to 6m @ 1.84% Ni.
Commenting on the results, Sabre Resources CEO, Jon Dugdale, said: “We’re ticking all the boxes with our initial drilling and magnetics programs at Nepean South.
“We’re ticking all the boxes with our initial drilling and magnetics programs at Nepean South”
High nickel grades have been produced from the saprolite zone above sulphide bearing Kambalda-style ultramafics in fresh bedrock.
A detailed drone magnetics survey has defined three ultramafic channels that are highly-prospective for massive nickel sulphide deposits.
Our next step is to track down nickel-sulphide accumulations with electromagnetics and further drilling that will target massive sulphide deposits similar to those mined at Nepean, located only 10km along strike to the north in the same geology.”
The company also notes that RC drilling has also intersected disseminated sulphides associated with high MgO channelised ultramafic rocks of the Kambalda style at the end of drillhole NSRC0004, indicating proximity to sulphide accumulations with the footwall basalt below.
In addition to the RC drilling, a detailed drone magnetics survey was flown along the entire strike length of the Nepean South tenement, defining three distinct magnetic bodies 10km to the north that represent channelised ultramafics prospective for nickel sulphide accumulations.
These drone magnetic survey results are further supported based on the high nickel and MgO results from the drilling to date.
The Nepean South Nickel Project is located near the township of Kalgoorlie in WA’s world class Eastern Goldfields directly south and along strike from the historical Nepean Nickel Mine, which is owned by Auroch Minerals (ASX:AOU).
Nepean represents the second producing nickel mine in Australia and has historically produced over 1.1 million tonnes of ore between 1970 and 1987 for over 32 thousand tonnes of nickel metal at an average recovered grade of 3.0% Ni.
With results from the recent RC drilling and drone magnetic survey now returned, Sabre Resources announces it will move forward with plans for follow-up RC and/or diamond drilling (DD) to test key conductors that may represent massive sulphide accumulations.
Results from the remaining 6 of 18 drillholes are expected shortly in the near future.
Images: Sabre Resources Limited
