Maximus Resources Ltd (ASX:MXR) has intersected nickel-bearing sulphides during drilling at Misho prospect in Western Australia’s premier nickel-producing region of Kambalda, just 25 kilometres from BHP’s nickel concentrator.
The company is encouraged by visual observations from a completed reverse circulation (RC) drill program along with remaining results from an aircore program.
A fertile nickel sulphide-bearing komatiite channel has been confirmed at Misho with disseminated nickel-bearing sulphides intersected at the basal contact.
Aircore results
The aircore drilling has confirmed the presence of a fertile basal contact over around 150 metres with the latest results including:
- 1AAC016 – 26 metres at 0.32% nickel, 225ppm copper and 70ppb PGE from 2 metres, including 6 metres at 0.48% nickel, 379ppm copper and 132ppb PGE from 4 metres; and
- 1AAC018 – 6 metres at 0.38% nickel, 220ppm copper and 34ppb PGE from 20 metres, including 2 metres at 0.53% nickel, 267ppm copper and 32ppb PGE from 22 metres.
Sulphides intersected
Maximus’ managing director Tim Wither said: “Following the highly encouraging aircore drilling results at the newly discovered Misho nickel prospect, the RC drill program was initiated to test for sulphide mineralisation beneath the elevated nickel, copper and PGE intersections.
"The RC drill program focused on the apex of the known magnetic flexure, which is interpreted to be the bottom of the komatiite channel. The shallow RC drilling at Misho has encouragingly intersected several occurrences of disseminated pyrrhotite and pentlandite sulphide minerals.”
Follow-up RC drilling
Eight RC holes were completed for 1,137 metres testing the basal contact with assay results expected .in 4-6 weeks.
Three of the shallow RC holes intersected visible disseminated sulphides (pyrrhotite and pentlandite) with concentrations between 1-5% within an ultramafic cumulate host rock.
The presence of the nickel-bearing sulphides provides strong evidence that the ultramafic system is fertile and has undergone sulphide saturation - crucial factors in the formation of Kambalda-type komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide deposits.
Downhole surveying
Downhole electromagnetic surveying has also been completed on holes MHRC007 and MHRC008 with modelling underway.
Following the receipt of assays and completed DHEM modelling a follow-up drill program plan will be completed and potentially incorporated into the upcoming gold drill program.
“It is early days in the exploration journey at Misho, but the presence of thick high magnesium komatiites with widespread occurrences of shallow disseminated sulphide mineralisation is a positive indication of the system’s fertility and potential for massive nickel sulphide accumulations nearby,” Tim Wither said.
In prospective region
Maximus’ Spargoville tenement package is highly prospective for Kambalda-style komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide mineralisation, which features a ~16 kilometres extension of a fertile regional ultramafic belt hosting several nickel deposits including Widgie Nickel Limited’s Mt Edwards Project.
Misho is a distinct magnetic feature about 1 kilometre north of Estrella Resources Ltd (ASX:ESR)’s legacy high-grade 1A Nickel Mine.
The Misho geological setting is interpreted as an overturned komatiite sequence that strikes to the north and dips west.
Maximus successfully utilised aircore drilling to establish the location of the komatiite basal contact and the associated nickel-copper-PGEs within the regolith.
Additional highly anomalous aircore results have now been received along strike to the north and south of drill intersection 1AAC007, which showed 20 metres at 0.53% nickel, 492ppm copper and 126ppb PGE from 10 metres.
These additional aircore drill results confirm the presence of at least 150 metres of strike length of the komatiite basal contact and associated nickel-copper-PGEs at Misho.
It is expected that all the remaining multi-target aircore assay results from the gold targets at Kemble and Emu Patch and the Central nickel targets will be received in the following weeks, with the potential to generate additional priority nickel and gold targets.