Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS)’s Andover project in Western Australia continues to shine, returning the highest individual nickel and copper hits to date following weeks of infill and extensional resource drilling at VC-07 East and West prospects as well as VC-23 prospect.
A mineral resource drill-out program at the nickel-copper sulphide project has been completed, constituting 118 diamond drill holes for 52,188 metres.
There were 110 holes drilled at VC-07 with 96 holes at VC-07 East and 14 holes at VC-07 West while a further eight holes were drilled at VC-23.
The highest-grade assays returned to date include:
- 4.94% copper over 1.1 metres from 498.9 metres downhole in hole ANDD0086; and
- 5.04% nickel over 1.5 metres from 325.8 metres downhole in hole ANDD0087.
Maiden resource estimate underway
“In the year since we arrived at the Andover Project, our exploration team has identified and drilled numerous zones containing substantial nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation, which points to Andover being a significant nickel district,” Azure Minerals managing director Tony Rovira said.
“From the initial identification of the kilometre-long VC-07 mineralised corridor, we’ve now completed drilling out the VC-07 East deposit and the estimation of Andover’s maiden mineral resource is underway.
“From here, we move on to defining the VC-07 West mineralised body, where our earlier drilling intersected multiple sulphide-rich zones containing high grades of nickel and copper and shortly we’ll also start drilling on some of the regional electromagnetic anomalies, such as the high-priority targets at VC-23 and VC-18.”
Analytical results have been received for drill holes up to ANDD0090, with assays for the remaining 28 holes expected to be delivered in the next two months and a maiden resource estimate expected in the first quarter of 2022.
Drilling is now focused on the VC-07 West mineralised zone, where three rigs are following up intersections of high-grade nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation and associated electromagnetic plates drilled by Azure earlier this year.
Additionally, a drilling program will shortly commence testing several geophysical targets identified by the company’s regional exploration program, including VC-23, VC-18 and VC-41.
VC-07 East sulphide deposit
Extensional and infill drilling has been completed at VC-07 East, achieving an internal mineralised intersection spacing of about 50 metres by 50 metres. This drilling work will provide crucial data for the upcoming mineral resource estimate, supporting much of the reporting in the indicated category.
Infill drilling has returned significant widths of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation, in line with expectations and confirming the internal continuity of mineralised thickness and grades.
Beginning shallowly at 40 metres beneath the surface, the VC-07 East deposit plunges and dips steeply, defined over a continuous vertical extent exceeding 550 metres. The deepest drill holes continue to intersect notable nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation, confirming additional potential depth.
Assays from drill holes ANDD0078 TO ANDD0090
ANDD0078 (near-surface):
- 2.8 metres at 2.23% nickel, 0.31% copper & 0.10% cobalt from 49.1 metres downhole;
- 7.2 metres at 1.41% nickel, 0.56% copper & 0.06% cobalt from 60.6 metres downhole;
- 2.2 metres at 1.76% nickel, 0.29% copper & 0.08% cobalt from 76.4 metres downhole;
- 3.1 metres at 1.47% nickel, 0.97% copper & 0.07% cobalt from 171.8 metres downhole; and
- 3.0 metres at 1.08% nickel, 1.17% copper & 0.05% cobalt from 194.0 metres downhole.
ANDD0079 (upper western side extensional):
- 10.8 metres at 1.70% nickel, 0.78% copper & 0.08% cobalt from 303.7 metres downhole, including 7.1 metres at 2.16% nickel, 0.74% copper & 0.10% cobalt from 305.1 metres downhole.
ANDD0080 (central deposit infill):
- 2.0 metres at 1.45% nickel, 0.31% copper & 0.07% cobalt from 399.3 metres downhole.
ANDD0082 (central deposit infill):
- 8.7 metres at 1.29% nickel, 0.30% copper & 0.06% cobalt from 428.8 metres downhole.
ANDD0083 (upper western side extensional):
- 7.5 metres at 1.27% nickel, 0.74% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 127.6 metres downhole; and
- 13.7 metres at 1.55% nickel, 0.54% copper and 0.07% cobalt from 318.3 metres downhole, including 6.5 metres at 2.28% nickel, 0.55% copper and 0.10% cobalt from 318.3 metres downhole.
ANDD0084 (upper eastern side extensional):
- 8.0 metres at 1.02% nickel, 0.58% copper & 0.05% cobalt from 197.1 metres downhole, including 4.1 metres at 1.37% nickel, 0.63% copper & 0.07% cobalt from 197.1 metres downhole.
ANDD0086 (lower deposit extensional):
- 7.7 metres at 1.29% nickel, 0.46% copper & 0.06% cobalt from 474.4 metres downhole; and
- 8.3 metres at 1.48% nickel, 1.50% copper & 0.07% cobalt from 495.5 metres downhole, including 2.6 metres at 2.30% nickel, 0.38% copper & 0.10% cobalt from 495.5 metres downhole.
ANDD0087 (near-surface and central deposit infill):
- 3.8 metres at 2.64% nickel, 0.84% copper & 0.11% cobalt from 145.5 metres downhole;
- 15.2 metres at 2.32% nickel, 0.96% copper & 0.10% cobalt from 316.6 metres downhole, including 6.0 metres at 3.21% nickel, 0.96% copper & 0.13% cobalt from 325.8 metres downhole; and
- 12.1 metres at 1.14% nickel, 0.33% copper & 0.05% cobalt from 374.9 metres downhole, including 1.8 metres at 3.68% nickel, 0.19% copper & 0.17% cobalt from 380.4 metres downhole.
ANDD0088 (central deposit infill):
- 11.4 metres at 1.85% nickel, 0.49% copper & 0.08% cobalt from 378.6 metres downhole, including 4.6 metres at 3.63% nickel, 0.51% copper & 0.15% cobalt from 379.7 metres downhole; and
- 10.8 metres at 1.33% nickel, 0.73% copper & 0.06% cobalt from 405.2 metres downhole, including 4.8 metres at 2.24% nickel, 0.59% copper & 0.11% cobalt from 410.1 metres downhole.
ANDD0089 (lower deposit extensional):
- 3.70 metres at 1.30% nickel, 0.61% copper & 0.05% cobalt from 495.0 metres downhole; and
- 3.10 metres at 1.49% nickel, 0.37% copper & 0.06% cobalt from 502.1 metres downhole.
ANDD0090 (near-surface and upper eastern side extensional):
- 4.9 metres at 1.21% nickel, 0.36% copper & 0.05% cobalt from 65.0 metres downhole;
- 7.3 metres at 3.28% nickel, 0.97% copper & 0.14% cobalt from 76.8 metres downhole; and
- 4.0 metres at 1.21% nickel, 0.34% copper & 0.06% cobalt from 228.0 metres downhole.
Next steps for Andover
Azure’s ongoing diamond drilling program at Andover has confirmed that the kilometre-long VC-07 mineralised corridor is an extensive system containing multiple zones of nickel and copper sulphides.
Drilling for further mineralised extensions and repetitions in this area is continuing, with three diamond rigs currently focused on the VC-07 West zone located about 300 metres to the west of the VC-07 East deposit. This will follow up earlier intersections of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation, as in ANDD0045 which returned:
- 4.5 metres at 3.95% nickel, 0.80% copper and 0.16% cobalt from 486.6 metres downhole, and
- 7.5 metres at 1.39% nickel, 0.45% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 601.6 metres downhole.
These sulphide-rich zones coincide with electromagnetic (EM) conductors identified by surface and downhole EM surveying.
Multiple other strong and extensive EM conductors have also been detected at VC-07 West that are yet to be tested by drilling, providing Azure with multiple drill targets.
The Andover regional exploration program comprising geological mapping, geochemical sampling and surface EM surveying has been ongoing for most of the past year.
Numerous bedrock-hosted EM conductors have been identified that represent high-priority drill targets, including:
- VC-23, where Azure has drilled eight diamond core holes, five of which intersected significant nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation;
- VC-18, which is represented by a 3.5 kilometre-long, bedrock-hosted EM conductor; and
- VC-41, which is an attractive geophysical target represented by two strong EM conductors