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Western Mines hits nickel and eyes new system

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Pentlandite nickel mineral from Mulga Tank under microscope.
Camera IconPentlandite nickel mineral from Mulga Tank under microscope. Credit: File.

Thin section microscope work by Western Mines Group has confirmed abundant pentlandite nickel mineralisation from a fresh diamond drill hole at its Mulga Tank ultramafic hosted nickel project in WA. The company says the work shows evidence of an extensive magmatic nickel sulphide system within the ultramafic complex.

According to Western Mines, its new core shows extensive disseminated nickel sulphides with three intersections of massive nickel sulphide observed. With previous intersections including 175m at 0.27 per cent nickel, 0.01 per cent copper, 0.015 per cent cobalt and elevated platinum and palladium the company believes they may be onto Type 2 Mount Keith-style disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation.

Mount Keith, located 425 km north of Kalgoorlie, is one of the world’s largest low-grade economically mined disseminated nickel sulphide deposits with an original resource of 647 million tonnes at 0.52 per cent nickel. Currently owned by BHP it boosts a remaining resource base of 224 million tonnes going 0.53 per cent nickel. If Western Mines can indeed uncover a Mount Keith style orebody in the current commodity price upturn the prize could be significant.

Western Mines flagship Mulga Tank ultramafic nickel copper and platinum group elements project is located approximately 200km northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Previous exploration revealed large EM conductors and several elevated nickel drill intersections over 100-200m in length.

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Assay results for the first drill holes in the current phase two program are due in February following a successful 10-hole phase one program in 2022. Western Mines are currently drilling at greater than 900m depth in the first of two holes part funded by an Exploration Incentive Scheme grant of up to $220,000. Management says the two deep holes will be the first to test the centre of the Mulga Tank dunite rock ultramafic unit and will be the deepest holes to date at the project.

The current diamond drill hole went to a depth of 647m and revealed a 506m thickness of high magnesium dunite rock containing disseminated nickel sulphides up to two per cent with some coalescing blebs in the three to five per cent sulphide range from 120m downhole. Near the end of the hole and basal contact of the dunite with surrounding rocks, three intersections of remobilised massive nickel sulphide were noted and confirmed with a portable Xray fluorescence device.

Thin section microscope analysis from four locations downhole confirmed the presence of disseminated pentlandite with little to no pyrite or pyrrhotite noted.

The results continue to show evidence for an extensive working magmatic nickel sulphide mineral system throughout the Mulga Tank Ultramafic Complex.

Western Mines Group Managing Director, Dr Caedmon Marriott

With the phase two drilling program continuing and assay results to come it may just be worth watching Western Mines and its quest to land a Mount Keith type nickel deposit.

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

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