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Writer's pictureDoug Bright

Western Mines Group hits 200m-thick WA nickel at Mulga Tank


Western Mines Group has wound up its 19-hole phase-three drilling program at its Mulga Tank complex in WA. Credit: File

Western Mines Group (ASX: WMG) has unveiled more solid nickel sulphide intercepts exceeding 200m thickness in the final three holes of its phase-three drilling program over the main grid at its Mulga Tank project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields region.


The company has today confirmed that all three reverse-circulation (RC) holes in its latest campaign show intercepts exceeding 200m thickness (to a maximum of 216m) and says the long runs are continuous and extend nickel sulphide mineralisation beyond previously-known or tested zones in the complex. The program was designed to test for a potential eastwards extension of the Mulga Tank ultramafic complex.


The drilling success has extended across Western Mines’ entire phase-three program, with nickel sulphide mineralisation reported from all 19 holes. It matches a similar feat in the phase-two RC program across much the same area, in which all 17 holes recorded mineralisation.


It also complements the total 58-hole RC drilling campaign across about 2.5 square kilometres of the complex, where all but five holes proved to be mineralised. Additionally, 23 intercepts from the 58 holes have identified the presence of nickel grades exceeding 1 per cent within 300m of the surface.


Management believes that suggests the potential for a big open-pit consideration to exploit the upper disseminated nickel resource. Given that the initial drilling grid spacing in the area of interest – before any infill drilling – is still mostly 200m by 200m, the program’s results highlight the area’s prospectivity and its potential for the discovery of specific higher-grade zones within the overall disseminated system.


19 out of 19 holes of the Phase 3 program showing mineralisation is a fantastic result. Whilst some of them were infill, many stepped out into new areas of the main body of the Complex; extending mineralisation well outside the area modelled in our JORC Exploration Target.
Western Mines Group Managing Director Dr Caedmon Marriott

The first of the recent triad of holes nailed 201m assaying 0.31 per cent nickel from 81m and includes a higher-grade run of 27m going 0.45 per cent nickel, 172 parts per million cobalt and 263ppm copper from 81m. It also threw up 1m at 1.25 per cent nickel, 398ppm cobalt, 0.15 per cent copper and a notable 0.33 grams per tonne combined platinum and palladium group elements (PGEs) from 96m and an impressive 3m at 0.50 per cent nickel, 237ppm cobalt, 0.40 per cent copper and 18ppb PGE from 273m.


The second hole bored out 216m of Mulga Tank’s finest material to present an average grade of 0.27 per cent nickel from 84m and ended in mineralisation. The run includes 6m at 0.31 per cent nickel from 183m and 10m at 0.46 per cent nickel from 221m.


The latter intercept also includes 3m at 0.65 per cent nickel from 227m, which also includes 1m at 0.88 per cent nickel and 0.6 per cent copper from 229m.


The third hole probed 209m, returning 0.29 per cent nickel from 91m and ending in mineralisation. The intercept includes 14m going 0.38 per cent nickel from 137m and also includes 13m at 0.41 per cent nickel from 234m.


Assay results have now been received by the company for all 19 phase-three RC holes drilled in the main body of the Mulga Tank ultramafic complex.


A further five-hole, 1411m regional component of the phase-three RC program was designed to test the project’s interpreted komatiite “channel system”, which extends generally to the north-west from the main body of the ultramafic complex. Four of the holes were drilled with the assistance of one of the company’s recent exploration incentive scheme (EIS) co-funding grants from the State Government.


With the phase-three program under its belt, Western Mines is now expected to consider several choices, including further deep drilling to scout out the floor of the intrusive, more evaluation of the channel system and in-house re-modelling to examine possible modifications to the scale of the company’s original exploration target resource as it moves quickly towards establishing a potentially mineable resource and an initial scoping study.


Whichever path the company takes, past experience suggests that the outcomes are likely to prove very interesting.


Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: office@bullsnbears.com.au

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