Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX, OTCQX:BLSTF) has confirmed the continuity and high grades of nickel and platinum group elements (PGE) in resource definition drilling at the King Snake Massive Sulphide (MSV) Vein deposit within the Ta Khoa Nickel Project in Northern Vietnam.
This drilling has returned up to 4.3% nickel and 18.2 g/t PGE.
The company’s drilling demonstrated the presence of an associated ultramafic dyke with disseminated nickel-copper-PGE mineralisation, with standout assays including:
- 6.2 metres at 0.73% nickel, 0.89% copper, 0.02% cobalt and 3.32g/t PGE from 191.8 metres, including 0.7 metres at 1.11% nickel, 4.73% copper, 0.05% cobalt and 18.2 g/t PGE from 192.65 metres;
- 2.35 metres at 2.09% nickel, 0.9% copper, 0.08% cobalt and 1.77 g/t PGE from 313.65 metres;
- 6.3 metres at 0.85% nickel, 0.41% copper, 0.03% cobalt and 1.12 g/t PGE from 70 metres, including 0.8 metres at 4.31% nickel, 1.11% copper, 0.16% cobalt and 2.09 g/t PGE from 74.65 metres.
Ultramafic dyke system
Blackstone managing director Scott Williamson said: “The resource definition drilling at King Snake confirms continuity of a high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE vein and associated ultramafic dyke system closely comparable to the Ban Phuc MSV that was successfully mined in the 2013 to 2016 period and is located only 1.2 kilometres from the operational Ban Phuc concentrator.
“Additionally, assay results from the early-stage drilling at the Suoi Phang prospect highlight potential for further nickel MSV deposits within the Ta Khoa dome.
“We look forward to continuing to systematically assess the massive sulphide potential at Ta Khoa.”
King Snake Deposit
The King Snake nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE sulphide deposit is about one kilometre north of the Ban Phuc disseminated nickel sulphide deposit and immediately south of the Ban Khoa disseminated sulphide deposit.
It is a magmatic massive sulphide and sulphide matrix breccia vein associated with an ultramafic dyke system intruding calcareous sedimentary rocks and quartz-mica schists of the Ban Phuc horizon.
The current mineral resource for King Snake is 430,000 tonnes at 1.3% nickel and was based on information up to and including drill hole KS21-26.
The King Snake MSV and ultramafic dyke system is closely comparable with the adjacent Ban Phuc MSV mined by Ban Phuc Nickel Mines during the 2013 to 2016 period and processed at the Ban Phuc concentrator which is being used by Blackstone to batch test material from the Ban Phuc disseminated nickel sulphide deposit.