Western Yilgarn flags 9 multi-commodity drill targets at Bulga project

WYX has defined 9 drill targets at the Bulga project in WA
Nickel-copper-PGE targets will be the focus, followed by lithium and gold
The project is located near Tier 1 nickel and lithium projects
WYX is also focused on its Julimar West project next door to Chalice

Auger sampling uncovers a bunch of drill targets at Western Yilgarn’s Bulga project, in the same neighbourhood as some world class nickel, lithium and gold projects.

All up, three lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite targets, five nickel-copper-platinum-palladium (Ni-Cu-PGE) targets and one gold target were defined by the 2,347-hole auger geochemistry program.

Western Yilgarn (ASX:WYX) will focus on the Ni-Cu-PGE targets first, with N4 the highest priority as its located over 3.5km strike and has a clear underlying magnetic high feature coincident with the auger anomalies over 9 separate auger lines.

The company will then focus on the lithium targets and then the gold target, which is ~30km south of Gold Fields’ Agnew Gold Mine on the similar or same geological sequence and structural setting.

Tier 1 nickel tenure

The Bulga Project is located nearby two Tier 1 world-class nickel projects operated by BHP (ASX:BHP), the Leinster and Mt Keith operations, along with several 2Moz+ gold operations including the Agnew, Lawlers and Bellevue mining operations.

The project is also ~60km north of Delta Lithium’s (ASX:DLI) Mt Ida Lithium Project (12.7Mt at 1.2% Li2O) and ~90km south of Liontown Resources’ (ASX:LTR) Kathleen Valley Lithium Project (156Mt at 1.4% Li2O).

Notably, of the Ni-Cu-PGE targets, N1 and N2 from historical Aircore (AC) and Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling by BHP and St George defined promising nickel intercepts including:

45m at 0.55% Ni, including 20m at 0.83% Ni (HWAC12);
48m at 0.34% Ni, including 18m at 0.51% Ni (HWAC06); and
27m at 0.31% Ni, including 7m at 0.51% Ni (HWRC001).

The intercepts define a highly fertile and poorly explored ultramafic belt and the company considers these drill intercepts to be related to nickel laterite (given low Cu and PGE numbers).

However, WYX also considers there’s potential for Ni-Cu-PGE at depth in fresh rock and along strike – with geophysical work planned for immediate follow up.

Western Yilgarn — Pic: Bulga project location. Source: WYX.

Staged exploration the plan

All the targets will be validated in field and then staged exploration will be planned.

The company lodged application EL 36/1066 in March 2023 which when granted, will allow additional step out exploration to test southern extensions.

In the meantime, the focus is on the Julimar West project, which is adjacent to Chalice Mining’s (ASX:CHN) world class Gonneville nickel project, where 900m of step-out drilling has shown new zones of mineralisation now just 2km from WYX’s tenements.

The ultramafic potential of the Gonneville intrusion fault, discovered in 2020, has turned what was once a bauxite and minerals sands mining region into a Tier 1 nickel precinct – and tenure pegged by WYX in 2018 sits right at the heart of the region.

The company says Chalice’s most recent exploration update strongly supports the prospectivity extending into Julimar West.

WYX is confident it will shortly be granted lease E70/5111 – at which point the company plans to immediately commence a staged exploration program at Julimar West.

This article was developed in collaboration with Western Yilgarn, 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.