White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) continues to build the prospectivity of the Merolia Nickel Project in Western Australia with the identification of three nickel sulphide targets at the Coglia nickel prospect.
Merolia is located close to the Windarra nickel mine and associated infrastructure.
The conductors identified by geophysical consultants Newexco on a moving-loop electromagnetic survey are located on basal contact of the ultramafic intrusion.
They are also along strike from rock samples with highly anomalous levels of copper, palladium and platinum that are considered to be diagnostic of nickel sulphide mineralisation.
Two conductors have been identified as category one conductors that require drill testing. The third conductor requires infill geophysics to upgrade it to a drillable target.
The margins of the ultramafic Intrusion are considered highly favourable positions for the concentration of massive nickel sulphides.
White Cliff is currently planning follow up work including additional fixed loop EM which will be followed by drilling to test these conductors.
This will be conducted in association with the drilling scheduled for the nickel sulphide targets recently identified at the McKenna prospect 50 kilometres to the West.
“The ongoing EM surveys continue to deliver exceptional nickel sulphide targets that occur on the margins of intrusive ultramafic units in the correct position for the accumulation of nickel and copper sulphides,” managing director Todd Hibberd said.
“Further infill and extension survey will be conducted in conjunction with drilling to ensure that the maximum number top quality targets are generated and can be drill tested quickly.
“The identification of these nickel anomalies substantially improves the prospectivity of the Merolia project given that the McKenna (35 kilometres) and Coglia (75 kilometres) prospects are close to the Windarra nickel mine and associated infrastructure in the event of successful drilling”
Coglia Nickel Prospect
The Coglia nickel prospect is 75 kilometres southeast of Laverton, Western Australia, and contains an intrusive complex consisting of mafic and ultramafic rocks which have intruded into a sequence of felsic, sedimentary and mafic rocks.
The prospect is part of the Merolia project which consists of 771 square kilometres of the Merolia Greenstone belt.
A detailed 51 line kilometres ground electromagnetic survey over the Coglia prospect highlighted three conductors which geophysical consultants Newexco identified as having anomalous time decay constants of up to 162 milliseconds and mid-range conductivities of 500 -1000 Siemens.
The three conductors occur under transported river sand and gravels that masks any significant surface geochemical expression.
Coglia’s mafic-ultramafic intrusion is associated with highly anomalous copper, platinum and palladium rock chip samples and is overlain by a nickel laterite deposit.
Historical drilling south of the company’s nickel sulphide targets at Rocky Well and Matilda prospects conducted by Western Mining Corporation (now BHP) identified nickel sulphide pathfinder elements platinum, palladium and copper.
Planned Exploration
The company is currently planning infill and extension electromagnetic surveys to refine drilling targets while negotiating with drilling contractors to finalise a contract terms to enable drilling to commence this quarter.
Ongoing EM surveys are expected to identify additional top quality targets that can be drill tested quickly.
Analysis
White Cliff Minerals continues to find additional compelling nickel sulphide targets which enhance the prospectivity of its Merolia Nickel Project not far from the Windarra nickel mine and associated infrastructure.
This has considerable promise in the event of successful drilling at Coglia as well as the McKenna prospect, where three targets were identified in April.
The new targets at Coglia are located on the basal contact of an ultramafic intrusion at Coglia prospect.
Adding further interest, the targets at Coglia and McKenna were identified by Newexco, which were instrumental in the discovery of some of Western Australia’s biggest nickel discoveries.
These include the Nova deposit as well as Western Area’s (ASX:WSA) Spotted Quoll and Flying Fox.
White Cliff is currently planning follow up work including additional fixed loop EM which will be followed by drilling to test these conductors.
Share Price Catalysts
- Drilling at the Aucu Gold Deposit in the Kyrgyz Republic (Q3 and Q4 2015);
- Drilling at the Chanach Copper Deposit in the Kyrgyz Republic (Q3 and Q4 2015);
- Drilling at Merolia and Coglia in Western Australia (Q3 2015);
- Drilling at the Ironstone Gold Project in Western Australia (Q4 2015);
- Drilling at the Kelly Well Gold Project in Western Australia (Q4 2015);
- Soil sampling and EM at the Bremer Nickel Project in Western Australia (Q3 and Q4 2015);
- Assays from the Aucu and Chanach deposits (Q1 2016);
- Assays from the Ironstone gold project (Q1 2016); and
- Updated JORC Resources for Aucu and Chanach (Q2 2016).
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