Zeb Nickel (TSX-V:ZBNI, OTC:ZBNIF) Corp said an analysis of deeper holes drilled at the Zebediela project in South Africa has shown a higher-grade nickel mineralized zone at the base of the historical resource estimate.
The company said an investigation of a full compilation of all data, including drilling, 3D geological modelling and assays, has revealed that historical drilling stopped short of testing this higher-grade mineralized zone, meaning that this ore body is significantly under-explored.
Further drilling into this zone may result in intersecting higher nickel grades and lead to an overall increase in grade, the company added.
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Zeb Nickel (TSX-V:ZBNI, OTC:ZBNIF) CEO Wayne Isaacs said the extensive re-evaluation and remodelling of the geological data following the successful Phase 2 drill program has allowed the technical team to target areas of higher-grade nickel mineralization.
“The nature of the mineralized orientation means that we can simultaneously drill for nickel mineralization within the historical resource as well as the higher grade nickel mineralization located in the Critical Zone, located beneath the historical resource,” he said.
He added that, based on Zeb's recent drilling, the Critical Zone contains higher-grade nickel-copper and PGE mineralization.
“Furthermore, while we drill for nickel, we will be drilling through and along strike of the recent gold mineralization discovery, thus simultaneously advancing our knowledge on the gold mineralization,” Isaacs said.
The company noted that the development of a 3D geological model has allowed it to better focus on the next phase of exploration, which will include infill drilling on the gold targets with the aim of declaring a resource on the gold mineralization.
Zeb Nickel is focused on exploring for and developing world-class mineral deposits, with a focus on metals that are critical in the production of rechargeable batteries such as nickel, graphite, lithium, cobalt, manganese, copper, and aluminum.
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