Nickel-focused Estrella Resources continues to intersect more nickel-copper sulphides in drilling at its Carr Boyd nickel project 80 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The company says it has hit a cumulative 17.5 metres of disseminated and blebby sulphides within a broader zone about 24m wide.
The finding comes from 782m down a deep hole targeting below the company’s T5 nickel discovery.
Estrella theorises the sulphides are closely associated with a silica-sulphide plume material encountered in its latest 946m hole. It soon plans to run a downhole electromagnetic survey on its latest deep hole to explore a large vertical section of the basal contact searching for additional massive sulphides.
Estrella Resources Managing Director, Chris Daws said: “Making further sulphide discoveries at depth is very encouraging as this is the deepest intersection of T5 mineralisation drilled to date by Estrella, further highlighting the continuing expansion of the geological setting at T5…”
“…There is still a very large area of highly prospective basal contact at the Carr Boyd intrusion yet to be fully tested…..”
The explorer reports, the phase 5 regional program continues with the rig moving back to its other prospect Mossgiel where a new hole has just been collared. Exploration will now target a series of holes where previous reverse circulation and diamond drilling identified nickel sulphides on the basal contact.
When exploring for sulphide mineralisation companies like to target the basal contact as it is thought to be where the heavy nickel sulphides accumulate as they crystalise out of the cooling magma and sink down to the base of the molten rock.
Estrella says the program is designed to form a strategic cross-section that will again be probed with downhole electromagnetic surveys to locate additional massive sulphides.
Interestingly the company says, the method of running electromagnetic surveys down deep holes was a driving factor behind the T5 discovery in May 2019.
To speed things up, the company, rallied another rig – due at the site shortly – that will assist in completing a volley of exploration holes between its T5 and Broonhill prospects.
Estrella says it has mapped about 12km of fertile basal contact in three prospects to date –with scout drilling across the trio confirming the presence of nickel-copper sulphides.
The project’s historical Carr Boyd nickel mine was discovered in the late 1960s and then operated by Western Mining Corporation between 1973 and 1977. After repeatedly changing hands for the next 40 years, Estrella managed to grab it with both hands in 2017. Since then, the explorer has focused on searching for the main lode that supposedly gave life to the underground mine.
Interestingly, the CSIRO has joined its ranks to help chase down the potential motherlode.
With nickel demand forecast to soar amidst the arrival of the electric vehicle juggernaut, now is not a bad time to be intersecting extra nickel.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Matt Birney
