Dundas Minerals identifies nickel-copper values, will kick off soil sampling
Dundas Minerals managing director Shane Volk said the discovery of the conductive anomalies was a “testament to the company’s exploration methodology”.
Dundas Minerals (ASX: DUN) has reported a survey at its nickel, copper and gold project in the Southern Albany-Fraser Orogen (AFO) of Western Australia has returned “highly conductive” anomalies.
Results from the recently completed high frequency audio magnetotellurics (AMT) geophysical survey at its Central nickel-copper exploration target returned what the company called promising preliminary results.
Dundas, which listed on the ASX last November, has a project area southwest of Norseman that is overlain by recent sand, calcrete and immature sedimentary rocks varying in thickness from 5m to 30m.
The AMT survey was designed to test to a maximum depth of 1,500m after an earlier airborne electromagnetic survey identified anomalies.
Targets could be nickel-copper or graphite
Two lines of the AMT survey showed low resistivity (equivalent to very high conductivity) values of less than 1 ohm per metre, which were deep brown in colour.
These extent to a maximum depth of 600m from surface.
Dundas says the cause of these anomalies may be massive sulphides which can host nickel and copper mineralisation or possibly graphite.
Soil sampling success would support drill program
A soil sampling program will begin on Thursday, the objective being to test for nickel, copper or other mineral anomalies at surface.
If these were found to be present, Dundas says that would support a drilling program to investigate whether the AMT anomalies host mineralisation.
Managing director Shane Volk said the company is now moving to complete the soil sampling work “as quickly as possible”.
Anomalous values from the soil survey for minerals such as nickel and copper would be extremely encouraging.
Previous explorer abandoned drilling plan
“I’d expect to see us move as quickly as possible to drilling if this were the case,” Mr Volk added.
“As far as we have been able to determine there has been no previous on-ground exploration conducted at the Central target, or in the surrounding area.”
Access is described as “excellent” due to a track being cleared in 2010 by Norseman Gold, the tenement holder at the time, for a planned reconnaissance drilling program. However, that program never went ahead due to Norseman’s financial constraints.
Norseman was delisted in 2015 after failing to pay its annual listing fee.
The AFO first came to international attention in 2005, with the discovery by AngloGold Ashanti (ASX: AGG) of the 8 million ounce Tropicana gold deposit.
That triggered a rush of pegging by companies looking for secure ground within the AFO.