Toro Energy Limited (ASX: TOE) has announced the intersection of 2.6 metres of massive nickel sulphides according to pXRF analysis, from the second diamond hole, TED04, drilled at the new Dusty Nickel-Gold Prospect within its Yandal Gold project in WA.
The company said that the hand held portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis suggests potential grades of between 2 and 6% nickel.
TOE said that the diamond hole TED04 was drilled approximately 40m southeast of diamond drill hole TED03, which had intersected 15cm of massive nickel sulphide.
The company said that the drill core from TED04 is currently being processed for geochemical sampling and analysis.
Yandal project
Toro’s 100% owned Yandal Gold Project is located within the world class gold district, the Yandal Greenstone Belt, less than 35km NE of the multi-million-ounce Bronzewing Gold Mine.
The project comprises over 143 km2 of contiguous and untested yet highly prospective exploration ground, in the high yielding Yandal Gold District
The project has six main target areas for gold exploration, including a number of gold and nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) geochemical anomalies in top-of-basement rock. The target areas include Christmas, Shadow Rock, Golden Way, November Rain, Maze, and Mako.
Dusty prospect is a recently-discovered prospect within the Yandal project and is located around 50 kilometres east of the Mt Keith nickel deposit.
Drilling at Dusty prospect
The company had recently commenced drilling at the Dusty prospect within the Yandal project. This included RC hole TERC13, and DD holes TED03 and TED04. These three are the first drill holes drilled into the Dusty komatiite unit.
TED03
Hole TED03 was the first diamond hole to be drilled at the prospect. TED03 had intersected 15cm of massive nickel sulphide. Based on results from x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis, TED03 returned nickel grades between two per cent and four per cent.
TERC13
TERC13, the reverse circulation (RC) drill hole that was twinned by TED03 was shown to have disseminated nickel sulphides for some 35m downhole, stratigraphically above what TED03 has proved to be a 15cm intersection of massive sulphides.
TED04
The company has now announced the assays from the second DD hole, TED04. The diamond hole TED04 was positioned approximately 40m southeast of diamond drill hole TED03.
TOE said that the purpose of TED04 was to test the rock unit hosting the 15cm massive nickel sulphide intersection in TED03 for a thicker intersection along strike to the southeast.
Massive nickel sulphides from TED04
Toro Energy announced that from DD hole TED04, it has intersected 2.6m of massive nickel sulphide from 184.5m downhole with potential grades of between 2 and 6% nickel according to hand held portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis. The company said that these grades will be verified by geochemical analysis.
TOE said that the observations in the field suggest disseminated sulphides may also be present stratigraphically above the 2.6m massive nickel sulphide intersection in TED04, however whether these sulphides also contain nickel as in TERC13 will need to be verified by geochemical analysis.
Similarities with deposits of Yilgarn
The company said that the massive nickel sulphides intersected in TERC13, TED03 (which twinned TERC13), and TED04 are hosted in the base of a komatiite rock unit, consistent with many of the massive nickel sulphide deposits of the Yilgarn of Western Australia.
Toro Energy announced that this intersection of massive nickel sulphides is particularly significant for nickel exploration because the Yandal Greenstone Belt is not known for nickel sulphides. This is despite it being adjacent to (to the east of) one of the most productive greenstone belts in the Yilgarn nickel province, the Wiluna-Agnew Greenstone Belt.
Still untested
According to Toro’s current interpretation of the magnetic geophysical data, the Dusty komatiite rock unit remains untested for some 6km to the south. TOE said that locally, the massive nickel sulphides are untested at depth as well as above the intersections in TED03 and TED04.
What’s next?
Toro Energy said that the drill core from TED04 is currently being processed for geochemical sampling and analysis, and said that the details of the nature of future work around TED04 are yet to be determined.
Management comments
Toro Executive Chairman Richard Homsany said: “We are delighted to report this result which proves the potential for mineralisation at our Yandal Project. Intersecting 2.6m of massive sulphide potentially grading between 2 and 6% (as suggested by hand held portable xrf) is an excellent result.
However, when combined with the fact that this intersection is only approximately 40m southeast of diamond drill hole TED03, which also intersected massive nickel sulphide, and given that it bears the same orientation, it underscores that Toro has discovered an exciting nickel prospect. This should provide investors’ confidence in our strategy at Yandal.
The excellent work of our exploration team led by Dr Greg Shirtliff is increasingly upgrading and unlocking the potential that exists on Toro’s tenure. We look forward to providing further updates as our drilling campaign progresses.”