Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) has recorded further strong nickel and copper hits from a drilling campaign at the Andover project’s VC-07 East Deposit.
The base metals explorer received assay results from another 21 drill holes executed over the West Pilbara project, of which Azure holds 60% in a deal with the Creasy Group.
Ultimately, the latest round of drill results continues to confirm the strong, internal continuity and extensions to high-grade nickel-copper mineralisation across the deposit.
Specifically, shallow nickel-copper mineralisation has been intersected to within 25 metres of surface, while mineralisation remains open along strike and to depths of more than 550 metres.
With the latest results in tow, the maiden mineral resource estimate for VC-07 East is expected late in the first quarter of 2022.
In the meantime, drilling has been suspended for the Christmas-New Year period and is expected to resume around January 10, 2022.
Finishing year in “a strong position”
Azure managing director Tony Rovira said: “It’s very pleasing to report that our drilling continues to deliver strong and high-grade mineralised intersections, which reinforce the good internal continuity of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation within the VC-07 East deposit.
“Additionally, some of the holes drilled to define the boundaries of the mineralisation have returned good nickel and copper grades over significant widths, indicating the potential to further increase the overall dimensions of the deposit along strike and to greater depths.
“I thank the entire Azure team for their hard work and commitment in 2021, which has seen the company undertake a large amount of exploration across the Andover Project and importantly, deliver significant success highlighted by multiple nickel-copper sulphide discoveries.
“We finish the year in a strong position, which includes a very healthy cash balance, and look forward to continue progressing Andover through the exploration, discovery, mineral resource and development study stages.”
Turning the soil at VC-07 East
Since VC-07 East was discovered a little more than 12 months ago, 102 diamond holes have been drilled, covering 43,995 metres on the deposit, while 37 diamond holes have been drilled at other prospects on the greater Andover project area.
Analytical results have now been received for 92 holes at VC-07 East, up to and including hole ANDD0111, with assays for the remaining 10 holes scheduled to be delivered within the next month.
Some of the best results to date are outlined below:
Overall, the assays indicate that VC-07 East has been well defined, with an internal mineralised intersection spacing of around 50 metres by 50 metres over a continuous strike length of more than 300 metres and a continuous vertical extent exceeding 550 metres.
Drilling confirmed the robust continuity of mineralisation within the deposit, with a large proportion of the upcoming mineral resource estimate expected to report to the indicated resource category which will enhance the resource’s strength.
Assay results from the recent in-fill drilling returned widths and grades of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation in line with, or exceeding, expectations and confirmed excellent internal continuity.
The extensional drilling was designed to identify external boundaries of the mineralised zones but, with several holes intersecting strong mineralisation around the edges, the VC-07 deposit remains open for further expansion to the east, west and at depth.
Promisingly, shallow drilling at the eastern end of the deposit intersected nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation within 25 metres of surface, beneath an extensive outcrop of nickel and copper-rich gossan.
This extends for several hundred metres further to the east and remains undrilled in this direction.
On the horizon at Andover
Azure has since closed the books on its drill program at VC-07 East, with most assays already received.
The remainder are due next month while modelling on the deposit’s mineralised zones is already underway.
Azure’s ongoing regional exploration program at Andover, which includes geological mapping, geochemical sampling, surface EM surveying and drilling, will continue in 2022.
Earlier this month, the explorer announced that drilling at the VC-07 West mineralised system had returned multiple intersections of massive, semi-massive and matrix nickel-copper sulphides.
These mineralised zones coincide with the modelled locations of EM conductors, which were identified by surface, fixed-loop and down-hole EM surveys.
Drilling will continue at VC-07 West to define these mineralised zones and potentially move into a resource drill-out phase.
In the meantime, numerous bedrock-hosted EM conductors, representing high-priority drill targets, have been identified by the regional program.
These include:
- Skyline, where Azure recently intersected multiple zones of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation in all three holes drilled;
- 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 3.5kilometre-long, bedrock-hosted EM conductor; and
- VC-41, which is an attractive geophysical target represented by two strong EM conductors.
Drilling across these targets, and others on the property, will continue in 2022.