Drilling by Aston Minerals extends nickel-cobalt mineralisation at Canadian project
Aston Minerals managing director Dale Ginn said the “incredible thickness and consistency of mineralisation” gives the company a “strong degree of confidence” in Barwell’s endowment.
Perth-based Aston Minerals (ASX: ASO) reports that multiple “significant” intercepts at its Bardwell prospect in Ontario have extended the drill-tested nickel-cobalt sulphide strike to 250m.
Bardwell sits within the company’s large Edleston project in the Canadian province.
While Aston, formerly European Cobalt with projects in Slovakia and Finland, acquired Edleston to accommodate its new gold thrust, it is now back in the cobalt hunt (with nickel) in Canada with two prospects within Edleston now being explored for those battery metals.
This latest announcement follows a week after Aston reported a slew of new gold drilling results at Edleston Main.
All holes ended still in mineralisation
These new intercepts at Bardwell include 183m at 0.38% nickel and 0.012% cobalt from 84m.
Another hole returned 293m at 0.32% nickel and 0.012% cobalt from 52m, while a third intersected 165.1m at 0.33% nickel and 0.013% cobalt from 220m.
All holes ended in mineralisation and also included higher grade intervals ranging from 84m to 50m in length.
Aston is awaiting assays from another five holes at Bardwell although it reports that “extensive” nickel sulphides have been logged in those cores.
Meanwhile, a maiden drill hole at the Elbow prospect intersected 321.2m at 0.28% nickel and 0.01% cobalt — and also ended in mineralisation.
Elbow is located 2.7km northeast of Bardwell.
‘Incredible’ thickness and consistency of mineralisation
Aston managing director Dale Ginn said the company’s drilling had hit “substantial” nickel sulphides on each section at Bardwell.
“The incredible thickness and consistency of mineralisation gives us a strong degree of confidence in the substantial endowment of this prospect.”
Aston is the first company in almost 10 years to carry out exploration at Edleston.
The previous owner of the project spent C$10 million on advancing the asset.
Aston, at the time of acquisition, noted that the lack of outcrop at surface, and the depth of transported cover, had hindered geological mapping.
The Edleston project is located within the Abitibi greenstone belt along the Cadillac Larder fault zone, which is responsible for the production of more than 75 million ounces gold.
Aston’s ground lies about 60km via road to the south of Timmins, Ontario.
The towns of Timmins and Kirkland Lake host significant former and current producers, with services and skilled labour available.