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Western Mines onto multiple Goldfields targets

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Western Mines Group has noted visible nickel mineralisation from diamond drilling at its Mulga Tank project.
Camera IconWestern Mines Group has noted visible nickel mineralisation from diamond drilling at its Mulga Tank project. Credit: File

Western Mines Group has highlighted multiple targets for follow-up diamond drilling from the results of a down-hole electromagnetic survey at its Mulga Tank nickel-copper-platinum group metals project in WA. The company dropped the survey tool down five holes from its recent phase 1 diamond drilling program with a number of moderate to highly conductive off-hole targets identified and now modelled.

An area of particular interest is the Panhandle zone of the Mulga Tank ultramafic complex where the survey defined a significant follow-up target.

The Panhandle area returned anomalous results from phase 1 diamond drilling including 0.9m at 1.06 per cent nickel, 0.06 per cent copper and 0.05 grams per tonne platinum and palladium from 281.6m. Additional assays included 0.3m at 1.57 per cent nickel, 0.13 per cent copper and 0.12g/t platinum and palladium from 281.9m.

A nearby historical drill hole showed a 0.25m intercept at 3.8 per cent nickel, 0.7 per cent copper and 0.7 g/t PGE from 212.6m.

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The company says the Panhandle area is shaping as a potential source of massive sulphide mineralisation with the survey results noting two significant in-hole anomalies at a shallower depth than previously predicted.

Another high-priority target has been identified to the west of Mulga Tank’s main intrusion zone where phase 1 diamond drilling returned a 1m intercept at 1 per cent nickel and 0.5 g/t PGE.

The recent survey identified a strong conductor to the north-east of the hole that had not been identified from a previous moving loop electromagnetic survey over the area. Notably, visible nickel sulphides were observed in the assays from the hole.

Two more priority targets were also highlighted to the north-west of the main intrusion area and on the edge of the Panhandle zone.

The DHEM results define a number of strong follow-up drill targets, with holes MTD016 and MTD018 particularly interesting. The modelled moderate-high conductances of the offhole anomalies are permissive of massive or matrix sulphide mineralisation. The base of the Panhandle, between holes MTD006 and MTD016, is emerging as a key follow-up target for Phase 2.

Western Mines Managing Director, Caedmon Marriott

Mulga Tank takes in about 400 square kilometres of highly under-explored terrain in the Minigwal Greenstone Belt about 190 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie in WA.

The company expects to begin phase 2 diamond drilling there by the end of November with a focus on the targets identified by the latest survey and phase 1 drilling results. Assays are still pending for 10 drill holes from the first phase of drilling that will also be used to define high-priority areas of interest.

Western Mines believes the Panhandle area could represent a komatiite channel with potential for high-grade Kambalda-style nickel mineralisation whilst the western margin of the main Mulga Tank body remains largely untested.

With a number of high-priority targets now defined and more to come, the market will be keeping a close eye on what Western Mines can unearth during the next phase of exploration.

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

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