Auroch Minerals Ltd (ASX:AOU) has received encouraging assays from reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling completed on Woodwind, Firefly and Brass prospects at its Leinster Nickel Project in Western Australia.
Assay results have been delivered ahead of Auroch’s highly anticipated maiden drill program at Nepean Deeps, which is on track to start this week.
The assays are for nine RC drill-holes and one diamond drill-hole as part of a 14-hole, 3,400-metre regional drill program.
Auroch has now completed all Down-hole Electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys and identified moderate-strong conductors in holes WDRC007 and WDRC008.
Strong results
Some of the stronger results include:
- 8 metres at 0.45% nickel from 19 metres in WDRC001;
- 5 metres at 0.30% from 66 metres and 4 metres at 0.30% from 80 metres in WDRC004;
- 7 metres at 0.40% from 52 metres in WDRC005;
- 2 metres at 0.50% from 30 metres in WDRC007;
- 1-metre at 0.56% from 159 metres in WDRC008;
- 1-metre at 0.45% from 41 metres in FFRC004; and
- 4 metres at 0.30% from 251 metres in HNDD011.
Elevated nickel results at the Woodwind and Brass prospects, with disseminated nickel sulphide intersections highlight the potential for new nickel sulphide discoveries.
The prospects are interpreted to contain the same ultramafic stratigraphy that hosts the known shallow high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation at the Horn Prospect directly along strike to the south.
Results show these prospects are high-priority drill targets.
“This new round of assay results from the recent drilling at the Leinster Project further highlights the high prospectivity of the recently-identified trend of fertile ultramafics to the north of the known shallow high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation at the Horn Prospect and justify follow-up exploration efforts as we attempt to vector in on potential new discoveries of significant nickel sulphide mineralisation,” Auroch managing director Aidan Platel said.
“The two DHEM conductors identified by the first phase of drilling provide high-priority walk-up drill targets that we will test with our next drilling campaign at Leinster planned for later this quarter.”
A follow-up RC drill campaign is now being planned at the Leinster Project and will include testing of the high-priority DHEM targets.
Details of the Leinster program
The dual phase first-pass drill program at Leinster consisted of five high priority diamond drill-holes drilled in March and April, followed by nine RC holes drilled in May and June.
At Woodwind, an off-hole conductor ranging between 2,000–3,000S was detected southeast of, and below, WDRC007 and due to the distance off-hole and the strike of the modelled conductor, it is not yet clear if this is associated with an ultramafic unit.
The conductor represents a priority follow up target which will be tested in the second phase of RC drilling at Woodwind.
At Brass Prospect, a thin intersection of disseminated nickel sulphides in WDRC008 (1-metre at 0.56% nickel) occurs on the prospective ultramafic–basalt lithological contact. This is located above an off-hole DHEM conductor.
The EM response has been modelled with a moderate to high conductance of 3,000-6,000S centred just north of the drill hole. This conductor will also be tested in the next phase of RC drilling at the Leinster Project.
Auroch turns attention to Nepean Deeps
Auroch will now focus on its maiden drill program at Nepean Deeps, scheduled to begin this week.
The company began planning this 3,000-metre program at Nepean near Coolgardie in June this year.
It is a high priority program that will comprise up to five drill holes targeting economic nickel sulphide mineralisation below the historic Nepean nickel mine workings.
Nepean was the second producing nickel mine in Australia. It produced more than 1.1 million tonnes of ore between 1970 and 1987, for over 32,000 tonnes of nickel metal at an average recovered grade of 2.99% nickel.
The current high price nickel environment bodes well for Auroch, if it can achieve similar results.
Platel has previously stated, "The life of the historic high-grade Nepean nickel mine was cut short in 1987 when nickel dropped to below US$4,000/tonne (currently more than US$17,000 per tonne), so we knew when we acquired this project that it still had a lot more to give.
"The presence of the flat-lying pegmatite vein at the base of the old mine workings is an important factor in our drilling strategy as we know geologically that the pegmatite veins are later features that developed a long time after the massive nickel sulphides were emplaced in the basal channel, and hence, logically, the channel and the nickel mineralisation should continue beneath the pegmatite, exactly as was the case at Flying Fox.
"As such, the Nepean Deeps target area is a very high-priority target area and we look forward to commencing our maiden drill program.”
Busy times for Auroch
As well as work at Nepean Deeps and Leinster, Auroch is finalising access and approvals for RC drilling at the priority Ragless Range zinc target at its Arden Project in South Australia.
“With major drill programs and ongoing exploration over multiple projects scheduled for the next few months, it is an exciting time for the company and its shareholders,” Platel said.
Upcoming programs
- Nepean Deeps maiden diamond drill program – to commence this week;
- Phase 2 follow-up RC drill program at Leinster Nickel Project to test prospective targets including DHEM conductors at the Woodwind and Brass prospects – planning underway for drilling to commence later this quarter;
- Assay results from regional drilling at the Cormorant, Little Eagle, Spoonbill and Triangular Ultramafic Prospects of the Nepean Nickel Project - expected over the next 3-4 weeks; and
- RC drill program at the priority Ragless Range Zinc Target at the Arden Project, South Australia – planning has been completed, and access and approvals are being finalised.