Aston Minerals extends nickel-cobalt strike at Bardwell prospect
在 Bardwell，Aston Minerals 的最新截获量为 1.5971 亿，镍含量为 0.36%，钴含量为 0.013%，来自 2.0631 亿，其中包括 83 百万，镍含量为 0.44%，钴含量为 0.016%。
Drilling at Aston Minerals’ (ASX: ASO) Bardwell and Olecranon prospects within the Boomerang target at the Edleston project in Canada has extended the nickel-cobalt sulphide mineralisation to 1 kilometre of strike.
Multiple significant intercepts were reported from the program, which comprised 15 holes for a total 1,000 metres of strike across the prospect.
Best results at Bardwell were 159.71m at 0.36% nickel and 0.013% cobalt from 206.31m, including 83m at 0.44% nickel and 0.016% cobalt; and 95.61m at 0.28% nickel and 0.011% cobalt ending in mineralisation from 425m.
Two zones of visible gold were also detected at 125.9m and 140.7m.
The company said the occurrences were unexpected and confirm the potential of the andesitic volcanic unit at Bardwell to host gold mineralisation.
A hole at Olecranon hit 205m at 0.27% nickel and 0.011% cobalt starting from 332.95m, with the results of the remaining 84.5m to end-of-hole currently pending.
Capital raising
Last month, Aston confirmed it would bank $29.3 million from a capital raising to accelerate exploration at Edleston.
The funds will be used to complete resource definition drilling across the Bardwell strike; reconnaissance and resource definition work across a 6.5km strike of the Boomerang target; and drilling extensions to the Edleston Main, Sirola and other regional gold prospects.
It will allow Aston to boost the scale of its exploration and utilise four diamond rigs across all prospects.
Consistency of results
Managing director Dale Ginn said the capital raising would help further investigate Boomerang, which continues to deliver consistency of nickel-cobalt results.
“What is particularly encouraging is the fact that every single hole which has tested the intrusive unit at Boomerang has hit sulphide mineralisation,” he said.
“We now have the funding to drill at a relatively broad spacing to define any additional high grade zones of mineralisation which will form the basis of further resource definition drilling.”
He said the company was waiting for the results of metallurgical testing to understand the amenability of the mineralisation to conventional beneficiation and to provide a guide towards final concentrate specifications.