Sabre Resources (ASX:SBR) announces it has started a new diamond drilling program at the Sherlock Bay Nickel-Copper-Cobalt (sulphide) Project 70km east of Roebourne in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
The 4-hole program up to 2,400m will test for ‘higher grade’ to massive nickel (Ni) sulphides down plunge of (below) both the Discovery and Symonds resources at Sherlock Bay.
Sabre’s exploration model is to target massive sulphides where the mineralised horizon projects to intersect the footwall of the Sherlock Intrusive, potentially representing the “neck” of the intrusion.
Massive sulphides occur in this position at analogous deposits such as the Nova-Bollinger nickel sulphide deposit, also in WA.
Commenting in the works program, Sabre Resources CEO Jon Dugdale said: “We are delighted to get this highly anticipated diamond drilling program underway at Sherlock Bay to test our theory that the nickel sulphide resources improve in grade with depth and are associated with the underlying Sherlock Intrusive.
“The drilling will target the intersection of the mineralised horizon with the Sherlock Intrusive”
The drilling will target the intersection of the mineralised horizon with the Sherlock Intrusive, a similar setting to other major massive nickel sulphide deposits in WA such as Nova Bollinger.
Building on our existing nickel-copper-cobalt resources, the discovery of higher grade to massive nickel sulphides at Sherlock Bay would significantly enhance the economics of the project.”
The drilling program is being co-funded by the WA Government for up to 50% of the direct drilling costs, and $10,000 mobilisation costs, capped at a total of $220,000.
Sabre reports that the latest program will also include down-hole EM (DHEM) surveying to detect massive sulphides associated with either in-hole or off hole conductors – an exploration technique successfully applied by Azure Minerals (ASX:AZS) at the ‘high-grade’ Andover nickel sulphide discovery, 70km along strike to the west of Sherlock Bay.
The recently announced Andover nickel sulphide Mineral Resource of 4.6Mt @ 1.11% Ni, 0.47% Cu, 0.05% Co is hosted by a similar mafic intrusion to the Sherlock Intrusive at the Sherlock Bay nickel-copper-cobalt deposit.
Sabre is focused on the exploration and development of a ‘highly prospective’ portfolio of nickel sulphide and gold assets in Western Australia, and uranium and base metal prospects in the Northern Territory.
Images: Sabre Resources Ltd
