Legend Mining’s search for a Nova-Bollinger lookalike in the Fraser Range has generated some exciting new clues including a “very strong” conductor just 20 metres below one of the latest diamond drill holes.
In a statement to the ASX on Friday, Legend reported it had identified the new conductor from a downhole electromagnetic survey in the first of two diamond drill holes recently completed at the Rockford project.
The company said the downhole survey confirmed that the source of the newly discovered conductor is a broad graphitic-sulphidic interval between the 683m and 738m mark.
The broad interval included two prominent zones of massive and matrix-to-net texture sulphides of iron and copper, which represented some of the best results yet from the Rockford project. However, the zones were only one metre and 2.8 metres thick and raised the intriguing question about whether better sulphide zones might exist nearby.
Legend reported that the new conductor had a dimension of 75 metres by 75 metres and was located just 20 metres below and to the southwest of the bottom of the drill hole. Furthermore, it closely correlated with the 2.8 metre-thick zone of iron and copper sulphides and could represent an even more significant accumulation of metals.
Management are looking to follow up this new exploration lead by conducting more detailed downhole surveys and additional fixed loop electromagnetic surveys above ground. This work is also aimed at identifying other new targets along the entire 800-metre strike length of the N1 conductor.
Lab assays and petrological analysis of core samples are also underway and will help build the geology picture around this target area.
Legend Managing Director, Mark Wilson, said “The results from the diamond and RC drilling at Area N and the initial downhole EM surveys are showing promising early signs for the Nova nickel-copper style of mineralisation we are seeking. It is early days, and the results from the pending petrology and assays will assist in developing a geological model for the area.”
The company also reported that another drill hole successfully tested the N2 conductor, intercepting a number of thin graphitic-sulphidic intervals that explained the presence of the conductor. A downhole survey will be conducted soon to look for other new off-hole features that could represent nickel-copper sulphides.
The next step for Legend and its 30% partner, the Creasy Group, is a full review of all recently collected data to develop an advanced geological model for the area.
With each new step at the Rockford exploration project, Legend and Creasy improve their odds of a significant discovery.
By Matt Birney
