Panther notches up project best nickel-cobalt grades in WA

Mineral explorer Panther Metals says final assays results from drilling at its Coglia project in the Laverton region of WA have returned its best nickel and cobalt grades at the operation to date.

The banner results include a 1m intersection going 3.97 per cent nickel from 64m with a 1m copper hit grading 7900 parts per million from the same depth.

The nickel hit was housed in a larger 19m strike grading 1.19 per cent nickel from 60m with an 8m inclusion going 2.10 per cent from 63m. The headline copper result was part of a larger 5m section running 2592 ppm copper from 62m with a 2m component at 5105ppm from 64m.

Another notable result from a further hole recorded 24m at 0.92 per cent nickel from 56m with a 1m copper hit grading 3090 ppm.

The exploration effort forms part of Panther’s second batch of RC drilling since its December listing. The probe saw the Perth-based explorer plunge close to 6000m of dirt, carving up its highly-prospective ground and chalking up some solid nickel and cobalt hits in the process.

The company says its work at the operation to-date has unveiled an extension to the known nickel and cobalt mineralisation, along with producing distinguished grades of the battery metals inside broad sectors of lateritic mineralisation, both inside and beyond its current exploration target.

According to Panther, the results combined with its current exploration target suggest Coglia could dish out a significant medley of nickel-cobalt and send the company to new heights given the insatiable demand for all things associated with the electric vehicle industry amid the mineral’s ongoing use in lithium-ion batteries.

With the final set of assays in its hands the explorer now plans to move ahead with a maiden mineral resource estimate at the project.

Coglia sits about 70km east of Glencore's Murrin Murrin nickel-cobalt facility and has the potential to host both nickel sulphide and nickel-cobalt laterite mineralisation.

After reviewing previous exploration by Heron Resources in the early 2000s, along with work by ASX-listed White Cliff Minerals in in 2018 and an independent review by geological consultants Geomin Services, the company believes it could have a honey-pot up to 50 million tonne nickel-cobalt at the operation.

Results from a recently chalked off initial RC drilling program at its proximal Burtville East gold prospect are expected shortly.

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