Azure Minerals hits massive nickel sulphides at Andover

Azure Minerals (ASX: AZS) has hit “significant” massive nickel-copper sulphides in the maiden drill hole at its 60%-owned Andover project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

The company emerged from a trading halt on Monday to announce the 40.7m overall mineralised interval, including a 4m zone of massive nickel-copper mineralisation starting from 94.5m downhole.

High-grade nickel mineralisation was confirmed by portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) testing and has been verified by Azure’s onsite geologist, the company reported.

Azure managing director Tony Rovira said the intersection is an “outstanding” result and marks a great start to the Andover maiden drilling campaign.

“Importantly, this mineralised intersection coincides with the interpreted position of the downhole EM (DHTEM) conductor, providing support that the conductors represent significant accumulations of sulphide mineralisation,” he said.

“The Andover project area does not appear to host sulphide-rich sediments, graphitic shales, conductive overburden or other characteristics that may generate false signatures for the EM surveys, and their absence is exciting given the size, depth and intensity of the conductors we have identified and are targeting,” Mr Rovira added.

Andover maiden exploration campaign

Azure’s maiden exploration program at Andover comprises geophysical surveys and an initial 12-hole, 3,000m phase one diamond drilling program.

The first hole was designed to test the down-dip extensions of sulphide mineralisation intersected in a historical drill hole, which returned 7m at 2.62% nickel and 0.65% copper within 26m at 1.03% nickel and 0.46% copper from 43m.

Detailed logging of the entire core is in progress and sampling of the mineralised intersection are in transit to the Perth laboratory for analysis, Azure reported.

A second hole at Andover is currently drilling to test the down-dip extension of the maiden hole’s mineralised interval and associated electromagnetic conductor.

Recent addition to portfolio

Andover is one of four new projects the company has acquired in Western Australia from major shareholder Creasy Group, run by renowned prospector Mark Creasy.

Azure has taken a 60% stake in Andover and 70% interests in the Turner River, Meetheena and Coongan gold projects.

Azure’s flagship project is the Oposura zinc-lead-silver deposit in Mexico, but the company recently turned to WA due to COVID-19 challenges in that country.