Western Mines sees big nickel runs in WA Goldfields drilling

Western Mines has revealed a plethora of consistently long nickel drill intersections at its Mulga Tank project near Kalgoorlie with all 5 holes showing multiple mineralised intercepts up to a cumulative 239m in one hole grading 0.28 per cent nickel, 139ppm cobalt, 72ppm copper and 19ppb platinum plus palladium. One individual intercept went as high as 0.45 per cent nickel with all other elements also elevated above the cumulative grades.

The five holes in the company’s Phase-2 RC drill program are part of a wider infill program. They follow up on 17 previous Phase-2 holes and the successful Phase-1 operation which identified a higher grade core zone of nickel sulphides.

The cumulative mineralised runs in each hole exhibit remarkable consistency, not just in their nickel assays but also in all other metals analysed.

The initial 17 holes of the Phase 2 RC program increase confidence in this zone - stepping out around Phase 1 hole MTRC016 that returned 200m at 0.30% Ni including 35m at 0.45% Ni. We’re now starting to receive a steady flow of assay results with 7 of the 17 holes received so far. Holes MTRC024, MTRC025 and MTRC026 all returned similar results to MTRC016 with broad, consistent intersections of mineralisation greater than 200m length.

Cumulative mineralised intercepts for the five holes run between 138m and 239m. Cumulative average assays for nickel run between 0.26 and 0.3 per cent, cobalt came in between 113 and 139ppm and copper grades ranged from 32ppm to 109ppm.

Additionally, average assays for the platinum-plus-palladium range between 6ppb and 22ppb.

The best individual nickel intercepts in each of the five holes came in at 7m grading 0.40 per cent nickel from 192m and 17m at 0.38 per cent nickel from one hole; 9m at 0.42 per cent nickel from 229m; 3m at 0.45 per cent nickel from 176m; 12m at 0.37 per cent nickel from 140m and 3m at 0.44 per cent nickel from 204m in one hole; and a 14m intersection grading 0.33 per cent nickel from 166m.

Results from all drilling over the last 12 months reveal significant nickel sulphide mineralisation exists in an extensive nickel system within the Mulga Tank ultramafic dunitic complex.

The latest results from the Phase-2 program continue Western Mines stunning “hit rate” of RC drilling successes, where a total of 26 out 29 holes have identified broad intersections of nickel sulphide mineralisation.

The company has now completed 16 of the 17 holes slated for its Phase-2 infill RC program, although progress was slowed by recent and extensive heavy rains which disrupted field activities for many explorers.

However, despite the interruption, the company has still managed to get samples from 13 of the holes to its Perth laboratory, setting up a steady news flow in the coming weeks.

Management says it is now beginning to identify distinct mineralisation trends at the project and horizons which can be followed and mapped across multiple drill holes.

The company is planning to target some of those horizons with follow-up drilling to locate and flesh out high grade zones of richer matrix to massive sulphide mineralisation.

Given its past record, the next set of assay results will no doubt be highly anticipated by the market as Western Mines looks to pull together a large and consistent ore body that can be economically mined.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au