Western Mines Group (ASX:WMG) has received geochemical assay results from a shallow diamond hole at the Mulga Tank Project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields.
Drill hole MTD031 indicated a near-continuous zone of nickel sulphide mineralisation, returning 230.2m @ 0.30% nickel, 131 parts per million (ppm) cobalt, 104ppm copper, and 19 parts per billion (ppb) platinum and palladium from 90m, with a 1:3 ratio of sulphur to nickel.
Other ‘high-grade’ intersections include 6m @ 1.02% nickel, 366ppm cobalt, 303ppm copper, and 33ppb platinum and palladium from 259m. Another intersection returned 8m @ 0.81% nickel, 269ppm cobalt, 340ppm copper, and 26ppb platinum and palladium from 298m.
Drilling is ongoing at the project, with fuel availability relieved. The company recently completed diamond tail hole MTRC001, along with reverse circulation (RC) drill holes from MTRC073 to MTRC075.
The drill rig has completed pre-collaring the next batch of 10 phase-five drill holes using mud rotary techniques, with drilling across the holes set to begin this week.
Western Mines has cleared its backlog of sampling, including samples up to hole MTRC075, which were delivered to the lab.
Managing Director Dr Caedmon Marriott says phase five drilling is “now operating in a smoother fashion, having overcome a series of issues, and fuel availability is greatly relieved”.
“We’ve completed a number of the outstanding RC infill holes along the southern fence with holes MTRC073 to MTRC075 and also drilled a diamond tail to phase one RC hole MTRC001, again chasing the up-dip continuation of the enriched deeper zones seen in MTD028 and MTRC011,” Dr Marriott says.
“We’ve recently received assay results for hole MTD031. This was part of the phase four southern fence, but drilled as diamond, to conserve fuel. Assay results show an essentially continuous intersection of mineralisation, with high sulphur and elevated nickel and chalcophiles down the hole.
“The company has planned five RC holes in the southwest corner of the complex as part of the phase five program, hoping to target the near-surface expression and up-dip continuation of these enriched zones for what could be +0.40% starter pit material.”
Western Mines Group is a junior mineral explorer focused on a range of critical and battery minerals in Australia.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Western Mines Group
