Mineral explorer Western Mines Group (ASX:WMG) is continuing to drill hole MTD026 at its flagship Mulga Tank Nickel-Copper-Platinum Group Element (PGE) Project in Western Australia.
This news precedes Western Mines Group’s presentation at Mines and Money Connect Melbourne on June 14-15.
The company reports MTD026 is designed to test the centre of the Mulga Tank Ultramafic Complex, lying between holes MTD023 and MTD020. Both holes have demonstrated ‘extensive’ intersections of disseminated sulphide mineralisation, with MTD020 recording the first ‘significant’ occurrence during a phase one drilling program.
Drilling of hole MTD026 will continue to test the basal margin of the intrusion in the area until about 60m of footwall has been intercepted to help characterise the geological setting of the Mulga Tank Ultramafic Complex.
Once completed, the company says the rig will then move to drill MTP026 on the eastern side of the complex in an area with no previous drilling. This hole will test a coincident gravity and magnetic high, a minor moving loop electromagnetic (MLEM survey) anomaly and will also test for the presence of disseminated mineralisation in this area.
This will be followed by the completion of a downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) survey on MTD025 and MTD026, and possibly MTD023, to search for offhole conductor anomalies that could be permissive for basal massive sulphide accumulations.
Western Mines Group says MTD026 is attempting to test the footprint of mineralisation across the Mulga Tank Ultramafic Complex. To date, MTD026 has intersected about 1,300m of high magnesium oxide (MgO) adcumulate dunite ultramafic containing near-continuous disseminated magmatic sulphides.
These sulphides coalesced into interstitial blebs in several places, with 3%-5% sulphide and approached net textured sulphides of 5%-10%. Multiple intersections of ‘high-tenor’ remobilised massive nickel sulphide blebs and veining were also observed frequently down the length of the hole, which was confirmed by spot portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) readings up to 65.6% nickel.
Western Mines Group says MTD026 appears to further validate its lopolith-shaped geological model for the Mulga Tank Ultramafic Complex and demonstrates clear evidence for a ‘very extensive’ magmatic nickel sulphide mineral system, with large volumes of mineralised ultramafic magma within Mulga Tank.
Additionally, the company says this result has ‘very positive’ implications for the prospectivity of the project and ongoing exploration targeting. MTD026 is the second co-funded deep hole to be completed at Mulga Tank after Western Mines Group was awarded $220,000 under the Western Australian government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) in October 2022.
Commenting on hole MTD026, Western Mines Group Managing Director Caedmon Marriott says: “Hole MTD026 is another deep hole into the Mulga Tank Complex and has been approved as our second EIS hole, using our $220,000 co-funded EIS grant.
“The hole shows some remarkable similarities to hole MTD023 but, overall, certainly seems to be richer in sulphide mineralisation”
The hole shows some remarkable similarities to hole MTD023 but, overall, certainly seems to be richer in sulphide mineralisation. The hole further validates our geological model of the complex and really demonstrates a significant working nickel sulphide mineral system with huge volumes of mineralised ultramafic magma and a large footprint over some 3.2km.”
Western Mines Group is an ASX-listed mineral explorer focused on finding nickel sulphide deposits across a portfolio of ‘highly prospective’ projects in Western Australia.
Along with Mulga Tank, the company also holds the Melita, Youanmi, Pavarotti, Rock of Ages, Broken Hill Bore, and Pinyalling projects, which are prospective for gold, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, PGE, and lithium.
Write to Harry Mulholland at Mining.com.au
Images: Western Mines Group Ltd
