Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS)’s drilling within the VC-07 mineralised corridor on the Andover Project near Port Hedland in WA, continues to deliver wide, high-grade nickel-copper drill intercepts.
Recently, the continuity of nickel and copper sulphides was demonstrated at the corridor's eastern portion, VC-07 East, with mineralisation observed over more than 550 metres by 300 metres and remains open.
Drilling also continues to intersect shallower sulphide mineralisation in the upper part of the VC-07 East deposit.
Further, massive sulphides intersected at VC-07 West returned high-grade nickel assays.
Substantial nickel-copper sulphide deposit
Azure Minerals managing director Tony Rovira said: “We are very excited with the continued success at Andover.
“As with our earlier drilling, these latest mineralised intersections are coincident with Electromagnetic (EM) conductors, confirming the strong association of Ni-Cu sulphide mineralisation with EM conductance.
“With multiple mineralised drill hits and numerous nearby EM conductors that remain to be drilled, the eastern part of the VC-07 corridor is shaping up to host a substantial Ni-Cu sulphide deposit.”
VC-07 East
Mineral resource drilling — both in-fill and extensional — in the eastern part of the VC-07 mineralised corridor continues to intersect significant nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation with recently returned assay results confirming continuity of thickness and grade of mineralisation in line with the company’s expectations.
Drilling continues to establish more closely spaced in-fill holes, while extensional drilling is ongoing in a bid to expand the extent of mineralisation.
Significant assay results recently returned from VC-07 East include:
ANDD0037:
➢ 29.1 metres at 0.92% nickel, 0.40% copper and 0.04% cobalt from 491.0 metres downhole, including
- 10.7 metres at 1.32% nickel, 0.43% copper and 0.05% cobalt from 491.0 metres downhole.
➢ 33.5 metres at 0.98% nickel, 0.39% copper and 0.04% cobalt from 452.0 metres downhole, including
- 6.9 metres at 1.94% nickel, 0.56% copper and 0.08% cobalt from 452.0 metres downhole; and
- 3.5 metres at 2.18% nickel, 0.71% copper and 0.10% cobalt from 482.0 metres downhole.
➢ 2.4 metres at 1.35% nickel, 0.21% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 449.4 metres downhole
➢ 1.3 metres at 2.03% nickel, 0.40% copper and 0.09% cobalt from 467.1 metres downhole
➢ 16.8 metres at 1.04% nickel, 0.46% copper and 0.05% cobalt from 460.1 metres downhole, including:
- 4.8 metres at 1.20% nickel, 0.31% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 460.1 metres downhole; and
- 9.5 metres at 1.19% nickel, 0.60% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 467.4 metres downhole.
➢ 7.1 metres at 0.95% nickel, 0.47% copper and 0.04% cobalt from 408.2 metres downhole,
➢ 9.3 metres at 1.37% nickel, 0.51% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 430.0 metres downhole, including:
- 1.5 metres at 2.88% nickel, 0.15% copper and 0.12% nickel from 431.4 metres downhole.
VC-07 West
Azure has identified nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation on multiple horizons about 300 metres along strike to the WNW of VC-07 East.
Assays from three of the 11 holes drilled at VC-07 West have been returned with encouraging results.
Significant assay results recently returned from VC-07 West include:
➢ 3.5 metres at 0.42% nickel, 0.56% copper and 0.05% cobalt from 437.4 metres downhole;
➢ 5.2 metres at 0.51% nickel, 0.32% copper and 0.02% copper from 460.1 metres downhole;
➢ 0.7 metres at 1.94% nickel, 0.27% copper and 0.10% cobalt from 669.7 metres downhole;
➢ 4.5 metres at 3.95% nickel, 0.80% copper and 0.16% cobalt from 486.6 metres downhole;
➢ 7.5 metre at 1.39% nickel, 0.45% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 601.6 metres downhole, including:
- 3.4 metres at 2.01% nickel, 0.43% copper and 0.09% cobalt from 605.2 metres downhole.
Azure will continue drilling targeting VC-07 West to define the mineralisation and potential of this area over multiple target horizons identified by limited drilling and DHTEM plate anomalies completed to date.