Azure Minerals begins drill program at Andover nickel-copper project
Azure Minerals’ maiden diamond drilling program at Andover will comprise 3,000m for 12 holes.
Diamond drilling has begun at one of Azure Minerals’ (ASX: AZS) recent Western Australian acquisitions, the Andover nickel-copper project in the West Pilbara region.
Previous drilling by the vendor, prospector Mark Creasy’s company, hit mineralisation including 7m at 2.62% nickel and 0.65% copper beginning 43m from surface.
Other intersections include 2m at 2.1% nickel and 0.44% copper from 15m, and a third hole with two zones: 4m at 1.1% nickel and 0.8% copper from 6m, and 2m at 1.77% nickel and 0.53% copper from 62m.
Azure Minerals said today that ground electromagnetic (EM) surveying has identified multiple strong conductor anomalies, potentially indicating buried nickel sulphide bodies.
The Creasy group has retained a 40% stake in the project. The Creasy Group has been a shareholder in Azure since 2003.
Andover was one of four projects acquired by Azure earlier in July as part of a new Western Australian strategy.
Azure’s program at Andover covers three phases: EM surveys of 10 separate targets zones already completed; an initial, 3,000m diamond core drilling on defined targets now underway; and then EM surveys down drill holes.
Further holes to follow up successful hits
Success with drilling in this phase will be followed up by additional diamond drilling.
Managing director Tony Rovera said the company is pleased to get drilling under way at Andover so quickly in what he describes as a “target-rich environment” for nickel and copper sulphide mineralisation.
“Azure has hit the ground running with the initial six-week program of ground EM now completed and our first drill program underway,” he said.
Mr Rovira said drilling will continue through to the end of the year with first assay results expected later this month.
The first six holes of this first program are focused on testing along strike and down dip extensions of known mineralisation, to be followed by other holes planned to test several other, but as yet undrilled, geophysical anomalies.
Meanwhile, Mr Rovira has increased his holdings in the company with a further 200,000 shares bought on market for $35,700.
He now holds 1,006,002 shares, 896,333 of them directly, plus 2 million options.