Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) continues to deliver high-grade nickel, as well as strong copper and cobalt values, from drilling at Andover Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia, including promising visually-identified intersections.
Three thick, vertically extensive massive nickel sulphide mineralised shoots have been identified, returning multiple mineralised drill intersections.
Two diamond rigs undertaking extensional and infill drilling at the Ridgeline deposit have completed 53 holes for a total of 30,860 metres.
High-grade results
Assay results from 20 holes are pending but significant mineralised intersections to date include:
- 2.9 metres at 1.34% nickel, 0.53% copper and 0.07% cobalt from 456.2 metres downhole;
- 0.5 metres at 2.43% nickel, 0.23% copper and 0.11% cobalt from 106.8 metres;
- 1.6 metres at 1.17% nickel, 0.50% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 494.2 metres;
- 6.3 metres at 1.68% nickel, 0.46% copper and 0.08% cobalt from 417 metres including 3.3 metres at 2.80% nickel, 0.55% copper and 0.13% cobalt from 418 metres;
- 4.3 metres at 1.99% nickel, 1.37% copper and 0.09% cobalt from 516.4 metres including 3.2 metres at 2.53% nickel, 1.75% copper and 0.12% cobalt from 517 metres;
- 3.8 metres at 1.14% nickel, 0.27% copper and 0.05% cobalt from 505 metres; and
- 21.2 metres at 1.24% nickel, 0.64% copper and 0.06% cobalt from 498.8 metres including 7.6 metres at 2.08% nickel, 0.78% copper and 0.08% cobalt from 509.65 metres.
Several recent holes intersected substantial quantities of visible disseminated, heavily disseminated, matrix, semi-massive and massive sulphide mineralisation.
Assays are pending but spot readings utilising the handheld pXRF confirmed the presence of nickel and copper mineralisation.
These include 24.6 metres of heavily disseminated, matrix, semi-massive and massive nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation from 434.1 metres in ANDD0172.
“Exciting” results
“These high-grade assay results, together with numerous visually identified strongly mineralised intervals (for which assays are awaited) are very encouraging, and it’s exciting that drilling at Ridgeline continues to intersect substantial nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation,” Azure Minerals managing director Tony Rovira said.
“The widest and highest-grade parts of the deposit are contained within two steeply plunging, strongly mineralised shoots that demonstrate significant vertical extent and remain unconstrained up and down plunge.
“Drilling is continuing at Ridgeline while our ongoing regional exploration continues to identify more drilling targets across the wider Andover Project.”
Additional drill targets
Azure's drilling continues to focus on extending and defining the Ridgeline deposit to support the production of a mineral resource estimate.
Drilling will recommence at other known occurrences of nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralisation at Seaview and Skyline and follow up anomalism at Atrium and Pipeline when the Ridgeline drill-out is completed.
Project-wide geological mapping and rock chip sampling programs are in full swing, focused on detailed exploration of the Southern Mineralised Corridor between Andover and Seaview and better defining this prospective horizon further to the northeast.
Downhole electromagnetic surveying (DHEM) is ongoing and surface fixed-loop electromagnetic surveying (FLEM) will recommence in late July, focusing on highly prospective areas where gossans and nickel-copper sulphides have been mapped at surface.
The first priority will be over the Southern Mineralised Corridor from Woodbrook to Andover, before moving to targets further to the northeast.
A high sensitivity SQUID sensor and more powerful larger loops will be utilised for the upcoming surface surveys to screen deeper for accumulations of massive sulphides.