IMX Resources’ (ASX: IXR) drilling has defined what appears to be the northern extent of the Ntaka Hill intrusive in southeastern Tanzania and will now focus on the south.
The first round of assay results from drilling at the northern end had intersected significant low grade disseminated mineralisation in the majority of the holes.
Best results included 0.25 metres at 2% nickel from 46.75 metres and 0.35 metres at 2.39% nickel from 49.3 metres. Both intersections were made in hole NAD13-357.
“The intent of the initial phase of our drilling campaign for 2013 was to test the northern extent of the Ntaka Hill intrusion. The results suggest that we have now defined the northern extent of the higher grade mineralisation,” managing director Neil Meadows said.
He added that the results from NAD13-353 (1.2 metres grading 1.12% nickel from 153 metres) were particularly encouraging as they indicated the potential to link the G and J Zones.
“However, given the overall quality of the mineralisation intercepted in the initial drilling program, the decision has been made to focus the next phase of our drilling campaign at Ntaka Hill to the south, where we have previously achieved the most encouraging results in and around Sleeping Giant,” he added.
“There may be more mineralisation along the northern extent of the Ntaka Hill intrusion, but if so it is likely to be much deeper than we have drilled to date.”
The holes drilled in May and June 2013 were targeted on testing the extent of proposed extensions to the mineralisation to the north, south and west of the strongly mineralised G and J Zones at the north-east extremity of the Ntaka Hill intrusion.
NAD13-353 in particular intersected mineralisation between the two zones, offering potential for these two zones to be joined together by infill drilling.
Drilling in the north will be reconsidered later in the season as this location is better suited for the wet season between December and April.
Drilling is currently focusing on the south of the Ntaka intrusion as this offers the opportunity to significantly increase resources in the immediate future.
Results from the work completed to date in that area will be available for release in the coming weeks.
IMX had last month updated Indicated Resources for the newly enlarged Sleeping Giant Deposit to 17.2 million tonnes at 0.49% nickel for 84,280 tonnes of contained nickel.
Upside potential was increased with the Inferred Resource now standing at 35,934,000 tonnes at 0.66% for 238,500 tonnes of contained nickel, more than double the previous 45 million tonnes at 0.30% nickel for 135,000 tonne of contained nickel.
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