Aldoro Resources intersects magmatic sulphides during drilling at Narndee nickel-copper-PGE project

Drilling at the VC11 and East1 targets within Aldoro Resources’ (ASX: ARN) Narndee Igneous Complex nickel-copper-platinum group elements (PGE) project in Western Australia has intersected encouraging sulphides.

Holes NDD0010 and NDD0011 at VC11, and NDD0012 at East1 encountered visual sulphides and prospective rocks to extend the nickel prospectivity of the complex 7km north-northwest of the VC1 target.

VC11 results

NDD0010 was drilled to a depth of 225.8m and uncovered a thick package of variably-mineralised high magnesium oxide ultramafics to 139.6m downhole.

A zone of disseminated, semi-massive and breccia nickel-copper sulphides was hit from 139.6m to 140.2m downhole.

The hole then passed back into high magnesium oxide ultramafics with disseminated sulphides and troctolites before intersecting a basal contact with metabasalt at 175.34m.

Hole NDD0011 was drilled to a depth of 291.7m and intersected a thick package of high magnesium oxide ultramafics to a basal contact at 226m downhole.

A zone of disseminated and veined nickel-copper sulphides was intersected from 211.5m to 226m downhole, and Aldoro was able to confirm the basal sequence to be dominated by felsic volcanics as opposed to the mafic volcanics observed in the previous hole.

A set of offhole downhole transient electromagnetic (DHTEM) models have been generated from the two holes and the target position will be drilled “as soon as possible”.

Aldoro said the presence of nickel-copper magmatic sulphides confirms the VC11 area to be highly-prospective.

Given its proximity to the VC1 target, it expands the prospective footprint for nickel-copper deposits in the Narndee Igneous Complex.

East1 drilling

At East1, drilling to a depth of 354.8m unearthed a package of felsic volcanics and felsic volcaniclastics, grading into felsic volcanics with interleaved mafic volcanics at depth.

Significant sulphides were hit between 211.8m to 214.3m downhole and 266.8 to 268.7m downhole.

Aldoro said these horizons “could be a reasonable explanation for the East1 target” and downhole electromagnetics would be completed on the hole to confirm the findings.

A follow-up hole will be considered if a robust offhole conductor is present at the level of the base metal sulphides intersected between 211.8m and 214.3m.

Sulphide assemblage

The sulphide assemblage in order of abundance in all drill holes at VC11 is believed to be pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite and pyrite.

The assemblage at East1 is believed to be pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and pyrite.

Aldoro said petrographic and geochemical analyses would be required to confirm the sulphide species, geological setting and relative abundance.

Further surveys

A versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) extension survey has been approved and is slated to commence in the new year to screen remaining areas of highly-prospective stratigraphy at VC1 and East1 and geochemistry results.

The proposed extensions have been divided into priority one over nickel-copper-platinum group elements magmatic sulphide-style targets, and priority two over copper-gold VHMS-style (volcanic hosted massive sulphide) targets.

Aldoro has already kicked-off a high-powered fixed-loop electromagnetic survey (HPFLTEM) targeting deep, highly-conductive bodies in the area between the VC1 and VC11 targets which has been considered too difficult to detect using VTEM.

A deep stratigraphic hole is planned to augment the HPFLTEM program.

The hole will target a coincident gravity and aeromagnetic anomaly directly between the VC3 and VC11 targets, to a planned depth of 650m.