Mining

Azure Minerals intersects two new sulphide zones at Andover nickel-copper project

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By Imelda Cotton - 
Azure Minerals Andover diamond drilling nickel copper ASX AZS

All seven holes completed at Andover to-date have hit “significant” nickel-copper sulphide zones.

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Drilling in the western part of the VC-07 corridor at Azure Minerals’ (ASX: AZS) Andover nickel-copper project in Western Australia has intersected two broad zones of sulphide mineralisation.

The zones were hit by the first hole drilled into newly-identified DHTEM (down-hole transient electro-magnetic) conductors.

They sit approximately 200m apart downhole and about 400m west of the first Andover discovery at VC-07 East.

Upper and lower zones

The upper zone comprises approximately 36.6m of matrix and heavily-disseminated sulphides from 428.15m to 464.75m downhole and is coincident with the modelled location of the upper electromagnetic (EM) conductor plate.

This plate is believed to have significant extent above, below and to the west of the hole, indicating good potential for substantially more mineralisation.

The lower zone has 28.9m of matrix, stringer and disseminated sulphides from 644.1m to 673.0m downhole, situated approximately 50m below the bottom edge of the lower EM conductor plate.

Azure said this indicates that more conductive, potentially massive sulphide mineralisation extends for a significant distance up-dip from the first hole.

Second drill hole

A second drill hole to intersect DHTEM plates to the west of the first hole is in progress and approaching the modelled target depth for the upper EM conductor plate.

Triangulated modelling has demonstrated the presence of at least two strong conductor plates to the west and extending above and below the holes.

Infill drilling at VC-07 East continues to intersect significant widths of nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation, confirming internal grades and thicknesses of the mineralised zone for Azure’s mineral resource estimation process.

Best results from the infill holes were 7.15m at 2.28% nickel and 0.57% copper from 135.4m, including 4.25m at 3.59% nickel and 0.78% copper from 137.1m.

Drilling progress

To date, Azure has completed 43 diamond drill holes at Andover for a total 18,120m, comprising 35 at VC-07 and eight at VC-23.

Two diamond rigs are currently testing the VC-07 West mineralisation and a third unit is continuing infill work at VC-07 East.

Azure said planning continues for additional drilling at other high-priority targets across the project area using data from airborne and surface electromagnetic surveys and a recently-completed high-resolution aerial magnetic survey.