Solstice Minerals (ASX:SLS) has intersected multiple wide zones of copper–gold mineralisation beyond the existing resource boundary at its Nanadie Copper-Gold Project in Western Australia.
Nine of the 10 reverse circulation (RC) holes reported returned ‘significant’ intercepts, led by 51m @ 1.03% copper (Cu) and 0.29 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 194m in NANRC041.
Other results include 97m @ 0.57% Cu and 0.16g/t Au from 173m in NANRC038, and 30m @ 1.15% Cu and 0.25g/t Au from 240m in NANRC035.
NANRC040 also returned 35m @ 0.87% Cu and 0.27g/t Au from 144m, including 12m @ 1.38% Cu and 0.49g/t Au from 163m.
Most of the holes were drilled as pre-collars for planned diamond tails targeting the system farther east and at depth. Solstice says the results further define a mineralised system measuring 100–200m wide and at least 1.2km long, which remains open along strike and at depth.
The company has identified the eastern 100m of the host gabbro as a ‘higher-grade’ corridor associated with alteration and deformation. Shallow RC drilling and diamond tails will target the corridor over the coming months.
CEO Nick Castleden says several intercepts sit outside the existing mineral resource estimate (MRE).
“Every new batch of drill results reveals a much larger copper-gold system than previously recognised,” Castleden says.
The results form part of an ongoing program of more than 15,000m comprising step-out drilling, resource delineation holes, and pre-collars for diamond extensions.
The company says assays remain pending for 12 diamond tails and more than 30 RC holes. This includes NANRCD005, which reached 840m and is interpreted by Solstice to extend the mineralised host geology about 500m below the resource boundary.
Nanadie hosts an inferred MRE of 40.4 million tonnes @ 0.4% Cu and 0.1g/t Au, containing 162,000 tonnes of copper and 130,000 ounces of gold.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Solstice Minerals
