Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX:GAL) has intersected massive sulphides during aircore drilling at the fully-owned Norseman Project, located along the Kambalda nickel belt of Western Australia.
The intercept found in drill hole NAC105 at a shallow depth increases the prospectivity of Galileo’s project area for palladium and nickel.
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Massive sulphide chip (25mm across) from 60 metres in NAC105. Bottom of hole sample pile on right. The drill was unable to break through sulphide.
Further to this, while handheld XRF readings indicate minor amounts of nickel and copper, any palladium, platinum and gold results will require laboratory assay.
The results of analysis of single-metre samples from the sulphide intercept in hole NAC105 are expected back from the laboratory within the month, while assays from standard composite drill hole samples from the remainder of the hole and adjacent drill holes are expected in 8-10 weeks.
GAL has now hit the halfway mark of its planned 10,000-metre aircore drill program to highlight zones of interest for further reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drill testing.
Prospects are good
“Hitting massive sulphide in an aircore drill program is an exceptional result. Although our on-site measurements show minor amounts of nickel and copper, the overall context of the mineralisation is incredibly prospective,” Galileo’s managing director Brad Underwood said.
“Meanwhile the aircore drill program continues and is expected to be completed over the coming weeks, with RC drill testing planned for 2022.”
READ: Galileo Mining kicks off aircore drilling targeting palladium-nickel prospects at Norseman
Galileo will undertake follow-up work on the massive sulphide prospect, which will include EM surveying to define the orientation of the target prior to RC drill testing.
The company plans to start its RC program next year.
Aircore drilling solution
Sulphide mineralisation in hole NAC105 was intersected on the northern side of target JD1 (see below) under alluvium and clay cover. JD1 is in the centre of the Jimberlana Dyke, where surface sampling recorded palladium values in soils of 0.81 g/t palladium and nickel values of 0.2%.
Priority drill targets at Norseman (over TMI magnetic image).
Shallow cover on the north and south of the dyke makes soil sampling difficult, but aircore drilling overcomes this problem.
Galileo drilled NAC105 to a depth of 61 metres, striking fresh massive sulphide in the final metre. Drill chips located above the sulphide indicate that the host rock is a mafic/ultramafic intrusion.
Full laboratory assays and thin section petrography are needed to determine the precise rock classifications and metal values, including testing for palladium, platinum and gold.
Galileo holds tenements near Norseman containing more than 26,000 tonnes of cobalt and 122,000 tonnes of nickel.