NickelSearch Ltd (ASX:NIS)’s maiden drilling program at the flagship Carlingup Nickel Project has hit massive to semi-massive and disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation.
Drill rigs turned the soil on promising finds at Carlingup’s RAV8 mine and the high-priority RAV5 prospect, where visual sulphides demonstrate the potential to extend the current resource and define a maiden estimate at the respective targets.
Twenty holes covering 2,736 metres have since been drilled over the RAV8 and RAV5 prospects, so the rig has moved to the high-priority RAV4-West deposit to test for extensions to the existing nickel sulphide resource.
Selected samples from priority holes have been submitted for analysis, while some reverse circulation (RC) drill holes at RAV5 and RAV8 have been cased ahead of downhole electromagnetic surveys.
Hitting the ground running
Speaking to the findings, NickelSearch chairman David Royle said: “ We have hit the ground running with lour first drilling campaign commencing two days following the ASX listing.
“Excellent progress has been made, with encouraging signs of visual nickel sulphides.
“Plans for follow-up diamond drilling in early 2022 are underway.
“We are excited about reporting positive results to shareholders in the coming months from this initial drilling program.”
Semi-massive nickel sulphides were uncovered at the RAV8 deposit between 201 and 208 metres.
RAV8
Carlingup’s RAV8 deposit is the most advanced within NickelSearch’s portfolio.
The mine historically produced 16,100 tonnes of nickel, grading at 3.45%.
That metric also included 9,600 tonnes of nickel at the higher-grade 5.83%.
RAV8 already boasts a mineral resource estimate, comprising 13.2 million tonnes of ore at 0.6% nickel for 75,100 tonnes of nickel resource.
Copper and cobalt credits are likely to be included in future resource estimates.
As part of its maiden drilling campaign, NickelSearch drilled 10 reverse circulation holes, covering 1,650 metres, at the RAV8 deposit.
Highlights include a 5-metre intersection of 20% disseminated and semi-massive sulphide, which confirms a halo of mineralisation at the property.
Another drill hole hit 12% disseminated and vein sulphide over a 6-metre interval, extending historical mineralisation to the north.
RAV5
RAV5 was first considered a high-priority exploration target thanks to an extensive, historical data review.
During the drilling campaign, NickelSearch completed 10 holes, covering 1,086 metres.
One hole hit 6 metres of 60% massive, semi-massive and disseminated pyrrhotite, pyrite and pentlandite, confirming the mineralisation continues over a 400-metre strike length from the surface.
The intersection also proves that mineralisation remains open at depth, down-plunge to the southeast.
Ultimately, it’s hoped the recent drilling campaign provides information to feed a maiden mineral resource at the RAV5 target.
What’s next?
With drilling completed at the RAV8 and RAV5 prospects, NickelSearch has turned its attention to the RAV4-West deposit.
Here, the company hopes to test potential high-grade extensions to the sulphide deposit to the southwest and east.
NickelSearch has also cased select holes at RAV8 and RAV5 for a downhole electromagnetic survey, which will take place at the end of the program in a bid to pinpoint massive sulphides along strike and at depth.
Once 12 drill holes wrap up at RAV4-West, the company will close the books on its initial drilling campaign.
Beyond the pioneer program, NickelSearch has identified three high-potential targets as part of its greenfield exploration study.
The John Ellis, Serendipity and Sexton prospects are firming up as exploration ventures thanks to their favourable geochemistry, historical ground electromagnetics and magnetic anomalies.
Permitting work is in progress, while follow-up fieldwork and scout drilling is set to kick off on the targets in the first half of 2022.