Metal Hawk assays turn up 5.89% nickel at Berehaven

Diamond and additional RC drilling will kick off in mid-October to test the extent of nickel sulphide mineralisation at the Commodore prospect and will also further investigate the conductive source detected in DHEM and MLTEM surveys.

Metal Hawk’s (ASX:MHK) latest reverse circulation assays have returned up to 5.89% nickel at the Berehaven Nickel Project in Western Australia’s Goldfields region, outing the potential for a significant komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide system.

Three RC holes were drilled for a total of 485m at the Commodore nickel prospect, located 5km north of the Blair Nickel Mine (which has previously produced 1.26 million tonnes at 2.62% nickel for 32,900 tonnes of contained nickel).

Metal Hawk managing director Will Belbin said the company was pleased to confirm the intersection of high- grade massive nickel sulphides from the first RC drilling program at Berehaven.

“We believe that the mineralised sulphide zone at Commodore may represent part of a significant untested komatiite system. This is an outstanding result at such an early stage and certainly validates our geological model and exploration targeting.

“The Berehaven Project is incredibly underexplored for nickel sulphides, and we have several kilometres of prospective stratigraphy along strike from Commodore.”

A diamond drill rig has been confirmed to start drilling in October.

Potential for more nickel sulphides

Expedited assay results have been received for the lower section of the discovery hole

BVNC002, which intersected 5.89% nickel from 144m to 145m at the interpreted basal contact with footwall felsic rocks, directly beneath 12m of intensely weathered gossanous ultramafic rocks.

Geochemistry from this highly weathered zone indicates that there could be more nickel sulphides located at depth, with assays returning 9 metres at 0.31% nickel, 185ppm copper, 18ppb platinum and 34ppb palladium from 135m to 144m.

Assay results for BVNC001, BVNC003 and the remainder of BVNC002 remain pending.

Although no significant sulphide mineralisation was identified in holes BVNC001 and BVNC003, the targeted ultramafic horizon was intersected at depths ranging from around 90m to 114m down hole.

The ultramafic rocks intersected were extremely weathered and ferruginous and the underlying fresh rock will now be tested with deeper drilling and DHEM.

Downhole electromagnetics

Downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys have identified a conductive target around 120 metres below the extent of Metal Hawk’s RC drilling.

Diamond drilling is planned to test the target conductive plate CMA_01 and DHEM will be carried out from this deeper drilling to better define and constrain the conductor.

Next steps

Diamond and additional RC drilling is due to commence in mid-October. Deeper drilling will test the extent of nickel sulphide mineralisation at Commodore and will also further investigate the conductive source detected in DHEM and MLTEM surveys.

This article was developed in collaboration with Metal Hawk, 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.