Mining

Drilling confirms extension to mineralised system at Azure Minerals’ Andover nickel-copper project

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By Imelda Cotton - 
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Resource definition drilling at the VC-07 prospect within the Andover nickel-copper project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, jointly owned by Azure Minerals (ASX: AZS) and Creasy Group, has extended the nickel-sulphide mineralised system further along strike and open in all directions.

Azure has completed 26 diamond holes at the prospect for a total 11,602.4m and assays have been received for 16 holes to date, confirming the intersection of massive, semi-massive and matrix nickel-copper sulphides in depth, strike extensional and infill drilling.

The company confirmed drilling hit significant sulphide mineralisation, extending the mineralised system further along strike to the west, down-dip to depths of more than 500m below surface, and up-dip to within 50m of surface.

Best assays were 11.6m at 1.01% nickel and 0.32% copper from 455.9m; 33.1m at 1.02% nickel and 0.53% copper from 434.5m, including 16.7m at 1.67% nickel and 0.88% copper from 434.5m; 15.4m at 1.05% nickel and 0.66% copper from 376.1m; and 14.8m at 1.77% nickel and 0.69% copper from 176.1m, including 5.8m at 2.81% nickel and 0.67% copper from 176.1m.

Azure has a 60% stake in the Andover joint venture while Creasy Group holds the remaining 40%.

East-west strike length

The mineralised body has now been defined over a continuous east-west strike length exceeding 300m, with mineralisation extending from near-surface to more than 500m below surface.

Downhole electromagnetic conductors associated with the sulphide mineralisation continue to extend down-dip below the deepest drill holes, indicating the significant depth potential of the VC-07 mineralised body.

A recently completed archaeological and ethnographic heritage survey allowed Azure to extend its drilling pattern over the full 1,050m length of the VC-07 target.

This approval enables drilling to be extended to cover the western portion of the target zone and drilling of the first of these holes has commenced.

Next steps

Azure has completed a close-spaced, high-resolution aerial magnetic survey to support and advance exploration across the Andover project area.

Data from the survey is being processed and will help advance the understanding of the project’s layered mafic-ultramafic intrusive complex and refine target areas for future exploration.

Diamond drilling continues to test the down-dip and western strike extensions at VC-07 and infill drilling will be ongoing to ensure hole spacing will be suitable for the mineral resource estimation process.

Planning also continues for drilling of other high-priority targets across the Andover acreage.

Physical reconnaissance and ground inspection of these areas is in progress following heritage and statutory approvals received last week.