Aston Minerals discovers broad nickel zones at Edleston gold project
Aston executive chairman Tolga Kumova says the nickel identified at Edleston is of comparable scale and tenor to BHP’s Mt Keith operations in WA.
Aston Minerals (ASX: ASO) has intersected thick zones of nickel mineralisation during drilling at the Boomerang target within its Edleston gold project in Canada.
The company this morning reported it had uncovered 282m at 0.43% nickel and 0.014% cobalt from 186.5m, including an intercept of 163.5m grading 0.52% nickel and 0.016% cobalt from 186.5m, with the final 18m of the hole returning 0.66% nickel and 0.014% cobalt from 331.7m.
The hole also ended in mineralisation.
These results were among those from 13 holes drilled for a total 5,959m across three sections of the target, where nickel sulphides were logged and verified using handheld XRF (x-ray fluorescence).
Aston executive chairman Tolga Kumova said the scale and tenor of the mineralisation at Boomerang was comparable to other globally significant nickel operations including BHP Group’s (ASX: BHP) Mt Keith open pit nickel mine near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
He said the results position Aston to capitalise on burgeoning world demand for the metal.
Extensive drill permitting across Boomerang’s entire strike length has been completed to allow for more sections of the target to be drilled.
Visible nickel sulphides
The Boomerang target was discovered last month after drilling at the wider Bardwell prospect within the project encountered visible nickel sulphides to end of hole.
Mr Kumova said the company had a high degree of confidence in the target’s potential.
“Boomerang has shown that the scale and tenor of mineralisation is comparable to other globally-significant mining operations the significant intersection we have reported has exceeded our expectation regarding grade and extent of mineralisation,” he said.
“Our aim is to define a substantial resource base and conduct associated metallurgical and engineering studies this year to be able to quantify the economic potential of this project.”
Aston has embarked on resource definition drilling at Bardwell with a view to systematically expanding the prospect’s defined area of mineralisation.
Mining destination
Mr Kumova made no secret of his preference for Canada as a mining destination.
“If I was to choose where in the world I would like to find a globally significant nickel deposit, it would be in Ontario,” he said last month.
“Hydroelectricity provides a truly green source of power, the infrastructure is world class and there is an extensive history of mining with a local and highly-skilled labour force … we are literally on the doorstep of what is rapidly becoming the electric vehicle manufacturing capital of the world.”