Gravity doesn’t just hold our planet together, it has also proven to be a valuable tool for Adavale in its search for nickel across its extensive Tanzanian landholding.

To date, the ground-based gravity survey has discovered 14 new and untested priority targets over a strike length of about 30km over the proven, nickel sulphide mineralised Luhuma corridor.

Importantly for Adavale Resources (ASX:ADD), the identification of the priority targets and geological modelling supports the presence of a larger-scale system that extends the potential (north, south and east) of the Luhuma corridor within its wholly-owned Kabanga Jirani nickel project and the farmed-in Luhuma nickel project.

To top it off, there is potential for more targets to be defined given that the gravity survey is only 60% complete.

Already, the company has contracted for a heli-borne electromagnetic program over at least 2,000 line kilometres to begin in the first weeks of July immediately after gravity surveys are completed.

“The regional gravity survey program has been particularly successful and is returning significant dividends to stakeholders with the identification of a series of new and previously undiscovered nickel exploration targets,” executive director David Riekie said.

“These results have exceeded our expectation with respect to their scale, number and the intensity of the signatures. We anticipate the regional gravity survey will complete in the next few weeks but still offers scope to add new target areas in Kabanga East and West.

He noted that the prevalence of so many strong, positive gravity features coincident with known mineralised mafic-ultramafic intrusions, validated the company’s long-held belief that the area holds “enormous” potential.

Gravity an effective exploration tool

“As we start to further refine and correlate the high-density signatures by overlaying the indicator nickel elements from the soil sampling, fertile sulphide environment and EM signature, our team can triangulate on those intrusions that have the greatest potential for nickel discoveries,” he explains.

“This is a really exciting outcome and endorses our belief in gravity as an effective exploration tool to generate new target areas and unlock further potential. Focused and deep penetrating EM is our critical next task that will quickly identify the best intrusions for immediate drilling.”

Riekie adds that the heli-borne EM survey can quickly cover the priority gravity anomalies to prioritise drill targets for reverse circulation and diamond drilling that is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year.

Data from the survey to date has identified three broad target areas that host the 14 gravity anomalies.

Stay on target…

Target Area 1 comprises six semi-continuous, discrete gravity highs that extend 15km NE and SW from the Luhuma drill hole LUH06, which intersected 1.14% nickel over 8m.

It defines and significantly extends the limits of the historically recognised Luhuma  mafic-ultramafic intrusion that was based on limited mapping and drilling.

Target Area 2 delineates what is interpreted to be a completely new mafic-ultramafic intrusion located immediately to the east and possibly stratigraphically below and parallel to the Luhuma intrusion.

It consists of seven large discrete gravity features with several smaller isolated highs extending over 7.5km.

Target Area 3 defines Adavale’s +4.5mGal T7 “Bullseye anomaly” where a single hole drilled in 2021 confirmed the source of the anomaly was an underlying mineralised mafic-ultramafic intrustion.

The orientation of the intrusion and the position of its more prospective basal contact is not known at this point, nor has it been covered by modern powerful EM techniques, making it an exciting target for the company.

Separately, the regional gravity data appears to show a distinctive broad fold pattern to the west within the Kabanga NE tenement, which includes a series of significant copper geochemical anomalies that may be related to discrete mafic-ultramafic bodies whose individual gravity response is being masked by the regional gravity high.

Further gravity processing and modelling will be conducted to help resolve this conundrum at the Enigma target.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Adavale Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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