Azure Minerals discovers near-surface nickel-copper sulphide zone at VC-07 within Andover
At Andover, Azure Minerals’ latest assays returned 41.9m at 1.1% nickel and 0.57% copper, including 8.5m at 2.77% nickel and 1.04% copper.
Azure Minerals’ (ASX: AZS) VC-07 nickel-copper target at Andover has continued to impress with the company discovering a near-surface mineralised zone.
The company has completed five new drill holes at Andover with all hitting “significant” nickel-copper mineralisation.
With the mineralisation confirmed by pXRF readings on site, drilling has uncovered an upper mineralisation zone that starts within 60m of the surface at VC-07.
Visual observations of one of the drill holes (ANDD0019) have found it is similar to hole three (AND0003), which assayed at 2.5m at 1.1% nickel and 0.6% copper from 41.3m; 9.9m at 0.9% nickel and 0.3% copper from 62.1m; and 4.6m at 2.1% nickel and 0.2% copper form 78.4m.
These latest results now extend the VC-07 mineralised system more than 300m along strike. Mineralisation has also been defined from near surface to 400m deep.
To-date 14 out of 15 diamond drill holes completed at VC-07 have intersected “significant” nickel-copper sulphides.
Azure managing director Tony Rovira said the VC-07 mineral system “continues to excite” with mineralisation defined near surface, down-dip and along strike, while remaining “completely open” in these directions.
“Encouragingly, a second mineralised zone has been identified above the main zone, with this new upper zone bringing nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation to within 60m of surface.”
“We’re very pleased by the fact that 14 of the 15 holes Azure has drilled at VC-07 have intersected broad mineralised intervals containing significant quantities of nickel-copper sulphides.”
Mr Rovira added that 750m of the VC-07 conductor plate remained to be tested and with mineralisation unconstrained at depth, the company was “evermore confident” that drilling will continue to firm up a major nickel-copper deposit at Andover.
Advancing VC-07
Azure currently has two rigs operating around the clock at VC-07, with a third rig to be mobilised to site next month.
Ongoing down hole electromagnetic surveying has also identified extensions to the EM conductor plates associated with the main mineralised zone at VC-07 along with the newly identified upper zone.
Azure said this work was assisting with pinpointing future drill targets.