Solstice Minerals (ASX:SLS) reports multiple wide, ‘high-grade’ copper-gold intercepts from its first diamond drilling at the Nanadie Copper-Gold Project in Western Australia.
Assays returned a combined total intercept of 629.1m at 0.50% copper and 0.17 grams per tonne gold from surface to the end of the hole, a result comparable to “globally significant” copper systems.
Key intercepts from the diamond tail are 30.7m at 1.41% copper and 0.34g/t gold from 461.5m; and 37.8m at 0.87% copper and 0.25g/t gold from 547m, including 22.5m at 1.10% copper and 0.31g/t gold from 562.3m.
Hole NANRCD004 in particular was drilled to extend reverse circulation hole NANRC004, which previously intersected 62m at 1.55% copper and 0.66g/t gold to 317.5m.
The company says this confirms mineralisation continuity more than 300m below the current mineral resource estimate (MRE) boundary.
CEO Nick Castleden says the results provide strong validation of the geological model, saying they provide “definitive evidence that this part of the deposit hosts multiple zones of high-grade mineralisation that extend to substantial depths beyond the current MRE limits”.
“Importantly, the excellent match between the zones of visible sulphide mineralisation observed in logging and the assays gives us confidence in the deeper drilling we have completed to date.”
Solstice has completed 13 diamond tails in total, with the remaining holes having assays pending or in stages of core processing.
Meanwhile, phase two drilling is ongoing over a 100m to 200m mineralised system, with Castledon sharing that the results so far have been promising.
“Our phase two drilling program at Nanadie is also making strong progress, with results and observations showing that the deposit is evolving into a much larger copper-gold system than previously recognised,” Castledon says, adding that the deposit remains open at both ends.
Solstice also notes the results demonstrate clear potential to materially expand the current resource estimate at Nanadie.
Also underway is an extended 13,000m phase two reverse circulation (RC) program covering step-out exploration, mineral resource delineation, and designation of pre-collar holes for the next diamond tails.
Five phase two RC holes have been reported to date at the northern extent of the deposit, confirming ‘significant’ copper intercepts to the limit of drilling.
The company says laboratory results are expected on a hole-by-hole basis over the coming months.
Located approximately 100km northwest of Sandstone, Nanadie includes an existing inferred mineral resource estimate of 40.4 million tonnes at 0.4% copper and 0.1g/t gold, containing 162,000 tonnes of copper and 130,000 ounces of gold.
Solstice Minerals is a mineral explorer focused on the discovering and developing copper, gold, and nickel deposits in underexplored regions across Western Australia.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Solstice Minerals
