Rimfire Pacific Mining NL (ASX:RIM) has confirmed cobalt and nickel mineralisation in drilling at the Avondale prospect of its Fifield project with scandium added to the mix.
Assay results from a recent 11-hole drilling program at Avondale returned a best cobalt intersection of 20 metres from 10 metres at 0.10% cobalt and 0.18% nickel, including 8 metres from 12 metres at 0.14% cobalt and 0.22% nickel.
Within this was an interval of 2 metres from 14 metres which assayed 0.18% cobalt and 0.23% nickel.
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CEO John Kaminsky said: “The review of cobalt observations continues at a number of levels at Fifield with the Avondale prospect now providing strong encouragement with these latest results.”
The best nickel intersection was 10 metres at 0.52% nickel and 0.05% cobalt from 18 metres with the best interval being 2 metres at 0.83% nickel and 0.06% cobalt from 20 metres.
Scandium identified
Drilling has also identified scandium with the best intersection being 24 metres at 310 ppm scandium, 0.05% cobalt and 0.18% nickel from 20 metres.
Kaminsky said: “The assay results confirm some very significant intercepts for nickel and cobalt.
“With the intersection of scandium, we now have the full metal suite of elements at Avondale that are seen at the adjacent Tout Complex of CleanTeq Holdings Limited (ASX:CLQ).”
Pulp samples resubmitted
Rimfire has also resubmitted to ALS Laboratories historical pulp samples for multi-element analysis.
The resubmitted pulps are expected to increase the density of cobalt, nickel and scandium data and this will help the understanding of the broader potential at Avondale.
“We are still dealing with information gaps in the historical data,” Kaminsky said, “so making appropriate re-submissions of some of the historic pulps for re-assay for cobalt and nickel is a logical next step.
“We will then be in a position to determine the subsequent drilling plans at Avondale.”
Historically targeted for platinum
He said it should also be remembered that the Avondale area was historically targeted for its platinum potential, yielding historic platinum results of the order 0.5 to 1 g/t.
“Whilst we have not assayed this latest drilling for platinum, it is our intention to do this at a later date.”
The prospective geological units are thought to extend for 2.5 kilometres.
The next stages of drilling should provide a further understanding of continuity, thickness and grade of cobalt already identified.
This is seen to exist between limited sample points across a current 1.3-kilometre extent.
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The CEO said: “The results at Tout East and Avondale demonstrate the capacity for the company to advance the potential for cobalt-nickel-scandium mineralisation at Fifield.
“In parallel, the company continues the strong focus already established for additional gold-copper discoveries in the district.”
Rimfire’s Fifield project is in the same geological setting as Clean Teq’s Sunrise deposit and the Flemington deposit of Australian Mines Limited (ASX:AUZ), both of which are nearby.