Drilling at Baker Shoot returns high-grade nickel intercepts for Lunnon Metals
Latest assays from drilling at the Baker target within Lunnon Metals’ Kambalda project returned a highlight interval of 2.7m at 10.72% nickel.
Lunnon Metals (ASX: LM8) has reported drilling at the Baker Shoot within the Kambalda nickel project in Western Australia has returned high-grade intercepts across two distinct nickel sulphide zones.
Baker progressed to a maiden mineral resource estimate in June totalling 15,800 tonnes of nickel metal grading 2.8% nickel.
The current drilling program has been designed to infill and extend that estimate and comprises over 8,000 metres of reverse circulation and 3,000m of diamond work.
The latest highlights were 23m at 6.78% nickel, 0.45% copper, 0.12% cobalt, 0.98 grams per tonne palladium and 0.26g/t platinum from 134m, including 14m at 8.13% nickel, 0.53% copper, 0.14% cobalt, 1.13g/t palladium and 0.31g/t platinum.
This intercept included an intervening 2m of komatiite grading less than 0.5% nickel, as well as 7m at 5.92% nickel, 0.4% copper, 0.11% cobalt, 0.96g/t palladium and 0.24g/t platinum from 150m.
The results are believed to be a significant improvement on the width and grade modelled locally in the mineral resource estimate exercise.
Significant levels of the elements copper, cobalt, palladium and platinum are also present where nickel grades are highest.
Impressive results
Lunnon managing director Ed Ainscough said the latest results from Baker Shoot continue to impress.
“This is another stand out result for Baker — the run of five consecutive metres over 10% nickel really is the cherry on top,” he said.
“The fact that Baker has the ability to deliver these nickel grades over such impressive widths and all so close to surface is exciting for our entire team and for our shareholders.”
First discovery
Baker Shoot is Lunnon’s first discovery within the Kambalda nickel project.
The company reported an indicated estimate in June comprising 295,000t at 2.75% nickel for 8,100 nickel tonnes; and an inferred estimate of 273,000t at 2.82% nickel for 7,700 nickel tonnes.
This increased Lunnon’s global resource estimate across the project to 2.2 million tonnes at 2.9% nickel for 64,300 contained nickel tonnes.
The estimates occurred within nine months of Baker’s discovery and inside 12 months of the company’s listing on the ASX in June 2021.