Special Report: Auroch is feeling confident about its Saints geological model after the first hole at the Saint Andrews channel target hit over 2m of nickel-bearing massive sulphides.
The hole is the first of three that the company is planning to drill at Saint Andrews, targeting the deeper of two strong down-hole electromagnetic (DHEM) conductors identified from historical surveys.
Auroch Minerals (ASX:AOU) says the modelled location of the DHEM conductor was coincident with the massive sulphide intersection, reinforcing the validity of using DHEM as a tool for finding nickel sulphides.
“We are very pleased to have successfully intersected nickeliferous massive sulphides within the Saint Andrews channel target,” managing director Aidan Platel said.
“The fact that the sulphide intersection was coincident with our modelled DHEM conductor really reinforces our geological model at Saints and the ability of DHEM to vector in on nickel sulphide mineralisation.
“The sulphide assemblage is rich in pentlandite, the principal nickel ore mineral, and we look forward to receiving the assay results.”
The Saint Andrews’ conductors sit below the known high-grade massive nickel sulphide mineralisation included in the current resource of 1.05 million tonnes grading 2 per cent nickel for 21,400 tonnes of contained nickel.
Busy nickel exploration pipeline
Auroch is drilling another two wells at the Saint Andrews target area and will survey all the holes with modern high-powered DHEM in order to vector in on further potential massive nickel sulphides within the channel.
Results from the recent aircore drill programs at both the T4 Target at Saints and the Leinster project’s Valdez prospect are currently being received and collated, and drill targets are being defined for the next phase of RC drilling at both projects later this month.
Additionally, the company plans to carry out resource drilling at the Leinster project’s Horn deposit in late August to upgrade the historical resource estimate of about 8,300t of nickel and 1,800t of copper to be JORC 2012 complaint.