Estrella Resources has served up new nickel-copper sulphide drill hits at its exciting T5 discovery near the historical Carr Boyd Rocks mine north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Results include 13.4m at 1.3 per cent nickel and 0.4 per cent copper from 392m. The company plans to test the extent of the T5 basal contact that hosts the mineralisation at T5 and Carr Boyd Rocks.
The 13.4m hit included a richer interval of 6.26m at 2.08 per cent nickel and 0.63 per cent copper from 395m.
Other intercepts from eight holes include a broad 25.32m at 0.79 per cent nickel and 0.58 per cent copper from 357m, in addition to 8.23m at 0.63 per cent nickel and 0.32 per cent copper from 438m.
Assays from a further four holes are pending with two of the holes testing a zone that previously returned 3.2m at 3.19 per cent nickel.
Management says the results have confirmed interpretation of the geology, mineralised-fluid flow direction and grade distribution within the upper T5 conductor zone being drilled.
Estrella has been smashing out the metres as part of its current phase-three drilling campaign with multiple wedge holes testing for mineralisation above and below previous intercepts at T5.
Last year a phase-two campaign delivered several impressive hits at T5 including 20m at 1.04 per cent nickel and 0.67 per cent copper from 368m. Another hole intercepted 13.9m at 1.18 per cent nickel from 431m.
Estrella’s Managing Director Christopher Daws said:“To have received some of the best results yet from our highly prospective Carr Boyd nickel-copper project is very encouraging. The results are particularly pleasing as it not only confirms our geological modelling of the Carr Boyd intrusive complex but it also demonstrates that the contact zone has the potential to bear high-grade results. We have a large volume of additional assay results to come and will update shareholders as soon as they are available.”
The company’s 100 per cent owned Carr Boyd tenure takes in 259 square kilometres and hosts about 75 sq.km of a mafic and ultramafic igneous complex featuring multiple nickel and copper sulphide occurrences including Carr Boyd Rocks.
The mine produced 202,100 tonnes of ore at 1.43 per cent nickel and 0.46 per cent copper in the 1970s.
Carr Boyd Rocks and the T5 discovery, less than 400m apart, lie along the T5 basal contact that stretches for more than 4km at surface to about 1km depth.
Curiously, management says the phase-three drilling has shown the entire T5 basal contact to be prospective for nickel-copper sulphides.
The company is planning to drill-test the extent of the T5 basal contact as part of a phase-four campaign over the coming months.
In a further phase-five drilling campaign Estrella plans to branch out to other regional targets within its tenure where it has identified some 30km of prospective basal contact areas.
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By Matt Birney
