Maximus Resources Ltd (ASX:MXR) has intersected gold-bearing sulphides on top of further nickel finds during drilling across its Spargoville Project near Kambalda in Western Australia.
The remaining assay results for the multi-target aircore program at the Central, Hilditch and Kemble deposits showed elevated nickel, copper and platinum group metals (PGE) that are strongly associated with Kambalda-type nickel sulphide deposits.
“In addition to the success in defining a fertile nickel sulphide komatiite channel at the Misho nickel prospect, the complete multi-target low-cost aircore drill program has delineated additional gold and nickel targets at Central, Hilditch and Kemble,” Maximus’ managing director Tim Wither said.
“These early-stage aircore drill programs provided vital geochemistry to vector-in on prospective targets for follow-up RC (reverse circulation) drilling.”
The results are in
The shallow aircore program has identified highly prospective nickel, gold and PGE zones for follow-up deeper drilling.
Highlights include:
Central
- 20 metres at 0.32% nickel, 139 parts per million (ppm) copper and 22 parts per billion (ppb) PGE at surface, including 4 metres at 0.44% nickel, 76 ppm copper and 23 ppb PGE from 12 metres;
- 16 metres at 0.29% nickel, 8 ppm copper and 18 ppb PGE from 28 metres; and
- 12 metres at 0.31% nickel, 114 ppm copper and 31 ppb PGE from 8 metres, including 4 metres at 0.43% nickel, 107 ppm copper and 31 ppb PGE from 8 metres.
- 16 metres at 0.32% nickel, 178 ppm copper and 30 ppb PGE from 20 metres, including 4 metres at 0.41% nickel, 134 ppm copper and 30 ppb PGE from 28 metres.
- 27 metres at 0.29% nickel, 88 ppm copper and 21 ppb PGE from 8 metres;
- 20 metres at 0.32% nickel, 81ppm copper and 17 ppb PGE at surface;
- 6 metres at 0.5% nickel, 465 ppm copper and 56 ppb PGE from 32 metres; and
- 5 metres at 0.49% nickel, 365 ppm copper and 51 ppb PGE from 36 metres.
Notably, the maiden aircore drilling campaign at Kemble, about 3 kilometres north of the Wattle Dam Gold Project, has defined a broad regolith gold anomaly of more than 1 kilometre of strike.
Highlights include:
- 8 metres at 0.3 g/t gold from 4 metres, including 4 metres at 0.46 g/t from 4 metres;
- 4 metres at 0.41 g/t from 16 metres;
- 5 metres at 0.4 g/t from 36 metres to end of hole; and
- 2 metres at 0.38 g/t from 36 metres to end of hole.
Plan view of Kemble depicting the gridded maximum downhole gold grades and gold and nickel intersections over grey scale aeromagnetics.
Forward plan
The Spargoville tenement package features a more than 16-kilometre extension of a fertile regional ultramafic belt and is highly prospective for Kambalda-style komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide mineralisation.
Additionally, there is significant potential for the occurrence of further orogenic gold deposits.
A considerable portion of the tenement area is unexplored as little nickel-focused exploration was carried out in the past.
An expert review of the structure and geology of the Wattle Dam and Redback area has been underway for several weeks to provide direction for future gold exploration and resource targeting.
These potential new targets will be included in future RC drilling campaigns, Maximus said.
Planning approvals for additional aircore programs to identify nickel exploration targets in untested areas of the Spargoville tenements are also underway.
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