NickelSearch Ltd (ASX:NIS) continues to make headway at its flagship Carlingup Project in Ravensthorpe, WA, as it progresses an extensive fieldwork campaign.
The explorer recently closed out a soil geochemical sampling program at the nickel asset, unveiling four priority greenfield targets for future exploration.
What’s more, NIS encountered strong soil geochemical 'Kambalda Ratio' responses during the campaign, which it believes highlights the potential for komatiitic nickel sulphides at depth.
A broader, systematic geochemical sampling program continues along the Carlingup Nickel Trend, using an ultrafine sampling method to generate further greenfield targets.
In the meantime, an aircore drilling program — designed to test bedrock nickel sulphide targets at Carlingup’s John Ellis North and John Ellis South prospects — was completed in February, with assays pending.
Looking ahead, NickelSearch plans to carry out target definition on priority areas and ground electromagnetic surveys, which will likely lead to drill testing in the coming months.
New targets for exploration pipeline
Speaking to the progress at NickelSearch’s flagship asset, managing director Nicole Duncan said the new targets were expanding the horizon at Carlingup.
“While we continue with the resource infill and extension drilling across Carlingup, it is exciting to have our soil geochemical work identifying promising new targets for the company’s project pipeline,” she explained.
“The soil sampling results have highlighted the nickel-copper-platinum group metals prospectivity over the broader Carlingup Nickel Trend.”
Greenfields exploration
In parallel with its current work — focused on shallow resource definition, extensional drilling and metallurgical test-work of the RAV nickel sulphide deposits — NickelSearch maintains it is fully committed to greenfields exploration to progress towards the next nickel sulphide discovery at Ravensthorpe.
Several programs are in progress:
- A soil sampling crew is on-site and progressing systematic, ultrafine soil geochemical coverage over a 15-kilometre strike length across the Carlingup Nickel Trend. This work will extend to areas where previous soil sampling lacked multi-elements needed for geochemical fertility studies – fundamental for nickel sulphide targeting;
- Final data has been received for the Xcite™ high-resolution helicopter electromagnetic survey over the entire Carlingup Nickel Project area. The results are under review and will be used to refine and prioritise greenfield nickel sulphide targets for follow up exploration work;
- A ground-based fixed loop electromagnetic survey will commence in the coming weeks at John Ellis South, aiming to identify anomalies that may be related to massive nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group metal (PGM) sulphides at depth; and
- A downhole electromagnetic survey program is scheduled to commence this week at RAV8, RAV5 and RAV4 West to identify anomalies with the aim to extend massive nickel-copper-cobalt-PGM-bearing sulphide mineralisation through a follow-up drill program.