Nickel sulphide expert adds experience to Western Mines

Mineral explorer Western Mines Group has added WA nickel sulphide exploration expert Dr Ben Grguric to its board as the company continues to focus on its Mulga Tank project in WA’s Eastern Goldfields region.

The company has appointed Dr Grguric to the role of Technical Director given his reputation as a leading expert on nickel sulphide exploration in WA with more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers to his name and a direct involvement in a number of gold and nickel discoveries over the past 30 years.

Western Mines says Dr Grguric has been working with the company as a consultant since August before his appointment this month.

Mulga Tank takes in about 400 square kilometres of highly underexplored terrain in the Minigwal Greenstone Belt, about 190 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie, where Western Mines is on the search for nickel, copper and platinum group elements.

The ground hosts a 12km trend of interpreted ultramafic rocks that border the western rim of the Minigwal Greenstone Belt. Management believes the trend may signify a tributary system for Mulga Tank’s dunite intrusion which could host a significant nickel resource.

The company says previous work at the site shows significant evidence for a working sulphide mineral system — an area of expertise for the new Technical Director.

I am delighted that Ben has joined our board at WMG. His extensive knowledge of West Australian nickel sulphide deposits, coupled with his processing experience, will prove invaluable to the company as we move to phase two in our busy exploration program at Mulga Tank.

Dr Grguric spent his early career with WMC Resources/BHP, in particular at the Mt Keith Nickel Operation, managing brownfield and greenfield nickel sulphide exploration in Western Australia.

Western Mines’ new Technical Director was also previously responsible for exploration strategy as Australia geoscience manager at Norilsk Nickel across the company’s WA nickel assets and was directly involved in the discovery of the West Jordan Type 2 nickel sulphide deposit. He holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Cambridge, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and the Society of Economic Geologists.

Western Mines is currently undertaking follow-up work at Mulga Tank and believes its Panhandle area could represent a komatiite channel that should be drill-tested for high-grade Kambalda-style nickel mineralisation.

The western margin of the main Mulga Tank body remains largely untested and could host Perseverance-style massive sulphide mineralisation.

A down-hole electromagnetic survey is currently underway at the site with additional geochemical assay results expected in weeks.

The addition of Dr Grguric to the board has been timed to perfection as his analysis of the upcoming results will provide Western Mines with a wealth of data to work with at the flagship project.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au