Drilling continues to prove up the potential of Azure’s Andover project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region to host significant nickel and copper.

Results from the VC-07 East deposit include depth extension hits such as 5m at 2.34% nickel, 0.39% copper and 0.12% cobalt from a depth of 583.3m (ANDD0091) and near-surface infill results such as 22.1m at 1.22% nickel, 0.83% copper and 0.05% cobalt from 97.4m (ANDD0099).

Holes targeting eastern and western extensions of the deposit also returned results such as 17.2m at 1.97% nickel, 0.53% copper and 0.09% cobalt from 278.8m downhole and 20.3m grading 1.51% nickel, 0.65% copper & 0.07% cobalt from 267.9m respectively.

The latest results continue the string of successes Azure Minerals (ASX:AZS) has enjoyed at VC-07 East, for which a maiden resource estimate is expected to be delivered late in the first quarter of 2022.

Drilling has now been suspended for the Christmas – New Year period and is expected to resume on or about 10 January 2022.

“It’s very pleasing to report that our drilling continues to deliver strong and high-grade mineralised intersections which reinforce the good internal continuity of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation within the VC-07 East deposit,” managing director Tony Rovira said.

“Additionally, some of the holes drilled to define the boundaries of the mineralisation have returned good nickel and copper grades over significant widths, indicating the potential to further increase the overall dimensions of the deposit along strike and to greater depths.”

Well defined mineralisation

The VC-07 East deposit has been well defined over a continuous strike length of more than 300m and a continuous vertical extent exceeding 550m.

Drilling has confirmed excellent continuity of mineralisation within the deposit with a large proportion of the upcoming resource estimate expected to report to the higher confidence Indicated category.

Azure notes the latest assay results have returned widths and grades of Ni-Cu sulphide mineralisation in line with, or exceeding, expectations and confirmed excellent internal continuity of mineralised thicknesses and grades.

Extensional drilling has also indicated the deposit remains open for further expansion to the east, west and at depth.

Adding further interest, shallow drilling at the eastern end of the deposit intersected nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation within 25m of surface, beneath an extensive outcrop of nickel and copper-rich gossan that extends for several hundred metres further to the east and remains undrilled in this direction.

Future plans

While drilling at VC-07 East is now complete, the company will progress regional exploration at the broader Andover project will continue in 2022.

This includes geological mapping, geochemical sampling, surface electromagnetic surveying and drilling.

Drilling will also continue at the VC-07 West mineralised system where drilling has already returned multiple intersections of massive, semi-massive and matrix nickel-copper sulphides that coincide with the modelled locations of EM conductors.

Azure will also test bedrock-hosted EM conductors such as Skyline, VC-23, VC-18 and VC-41.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Azure Minerals, 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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