Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) has landed a swag of strong results following drilling at Ridgeline nickel-copper sulphide prospect, with assays returning multiple high-grade nickel and copper intersections.
Ridgeline forms part of the 60% Azure-owned Andover Project in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia.
A geologically-targeted step-out drill hole collared approximately 140 metres along strike to the west of Ridgeline intersected a 3-metre-wide zone of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation, including two intervals of massive nickel-copper sulphides.
Investors responded positively, driving shares up 10.14% to an intraday high of $0.38.
Assay highlights
Massive nickel-copper sulphides intersected at Ridgeline include:
- 6.3 metres at 3.59% nickel, 0.21% copper and 0.17% cobalt from 459.2 metres downhole within 12.6 metres at 2.17% nickel, 0.46% copper and 0.10% cobalt from 459.2 metres;
- 4.9 metres at 3.50% nickel, 1.34% copper and 0.17% cobalt from 542.8 metres downhole within 14.5 metres at 1.84% nickel, 0.88% copper and 0.09% cobalt from 537 metres; and
- 0.9 metres at 4.45% nickel, 0.19% copper and 0.17% cobalt from 356.6 metres downhole within 4.1 metres at 1.40% nickel, 0.60% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 356.6 metres.
Favourable geology
Favourable geology was encountered in the first two step-out holes drilled to the west of the Ridgeline mineralisation, with ANDD0147 and ANDD0148 (120 metres west of ANDD0147 and 260 metres west of Ridgeline) containing visible nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation in a geological setting similar to the Andover deposit.
The company continues to drill-test the mineralisation in ANDD0147, which intersected a 3-metre-wide zone containing massive, semi-massive, matrix, blebby and disseminated nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation.
This intersection includes two zones of massive sulphides which returned high nickel readings when tested with a handheld portable XRF, indicating the sulphides are of high nickel tenor.
At ANDD0148, the company intersected a 10-metre-wide zone containing disseminated nickel-copper sulphides, confirming the prospectivity of the western Ridgeline extensions.
What’s next?
Azure continues to build its understanding of important geological units, structural trends and mineralisation controls at the Andover deposit.
The company is conducting surface fixed loop electromagnetic (EM) and downhole EM surveying to test for additional accumulations of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation.
Other planned exploration activities include drilling at the Skyline and Seaview prospects to follow-up nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation intersected in the company’s earlier drill programs, and surface fixed loop EM surveying and initial drilling at the Atrium and Woodbrook nickel-copper sulphide prospects.
