Estrella Resources has identified a slew of fresh targets at its Carr Boyd nickel project near Kalgoorlie following a review of data from its partnership with the CSIRO and results from a recent seismic survey.
The company says it has highlighted 30 targets, including 15 with known nickel-copper-platinum group element intersections and another 15 that host the right geology, but are yet to be drill-tested.
In November, 2021, Estrella engaged three nickel experts from the CSIRO to initiate studies on the age, formation and characterisation of the Carr Boyd igneous complex.
The latest review elevated the Colreavy komatiite, which lies immediately west of the Carr Boyd complex, to a high priority. The company says exploration spend on its Carr Boyd complex previously took priority, but the new Colreavy target was too compelling not to include in the next round of work. The nickel target lies within Estrella’s ground, but has not been extensively tested and has received little to no modern exploration.
Management says the CSIRO findings point to a “dynamic” Carr Boyd system with many different magma pulses.
Estrella Resources managing director Chris Daws said: “Estrella has already encountered massive nickel sulphides in the Carr Boyd area and with an advanced model we now have a host of other exciting targets which are capable of producing results. I feel we are a lot closer to unlocking the massive opportunity our ground offers for additional economic mineral discoveries.”
Additional work by Ultramag using cutting-edge technology with geophysical interpretation from hard-rock seismic has enabled the nickel explorer to target the 16km long basal contact with unprecedented accuracy.
The company has enjoyed recent success at Carr Boyd, where it declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 0.86 million tonnes at 0.66 per cent nickel and 0.42 per cent copper at its T5 deposit.
Estrella says the T5 estimate also includes more than 12,000 ounces of platinum and palladium with about 55,000 ounces of silver associated with sulphide mineralisation at the site.
The T5 mineral resource estimate has been calculated using 43 diamond drill holes and three reverse-circulation (RC) holes covering a strike length of 500m from near surface to a depth of 720m.
The Carr Boyd nickel mine was discovered in the late 1960s by Great Boulder Mines and was operated by Western Mining Corporation between 1973 and 1977. After repeatedly changing hands in the next 40 years, the site was acquired by Estrella in 2017.
Due to the substantial size of the prospective areas now being targeted within the Carr Boyd complex and the focus on bringing its near-term Spargoville nickel project into production, Estrella says it is actively engaging with potential partners to maintain aggressive exploration across the tenement package in the next three to four years.
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By Michael Philipps
