Ragnar Metals gains off road permit from Swedish authorities, plans post COVID-19 exploration of Tullsta nickel project

Swedish authorities have granted Australian explorer Ragnar Metals (ASX: RAG) an environmental permit to operate off road in the local county of Sala, paving the way for the start of diamond drilling and geophysical work on the nearby Tullsta nickel project.

The permit gives Ragnar the right to travel, conduct diamond drilling activities and undertake geophysical surveys at the Granmuren nickel deposit within the Berga Nr1 tenement survey works area at Tullsta.

Granmuren is supported by 3D models and is characterised by a steep dipping zone forming an anomaly of up to 150m wide within a gabbroic host rock intrusion.

Within this zone, there are multiple lenses of nickel sulphide mineralisation highlighted during an induced polarisation and resistivity survey in February.

The survey defined a continuous body which extends from surface to below the previously drilled depth.

The body is also open to the north and west, while further magnetic and gravity modelling indicated a western to north-westerly plunging body.

Work plans

With the permit received, Ragnar said exploration plans had been served to landholders and no objections received to date.

Once the final landholder approvals are submitted to the relevant regulatory bodies, Ragnar’s work plan will become valid and a final Works Permit issued, allowing the company to commence drilling exploration activities.

Phase one will comprise four holes for 2,200m, while phase two will see an additional four holes for 1,550m.

Ragnar chairman Steve Formica said field validation and boulder hunting for gabbroic rocks and nickel sulphides over the target zones would commence once COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted and it is safe to travel to Sweden.

“Tullsta is relatively unexplored with various anomalies untested and warranting further investigation,” he said.

“We look forward to putting a work program together for the benefit of our stakeholders, including all shareholders and local landowners.”

Tullsta project

Located near Sala in the Bergslagen district of Sweden, 110km north-west of Stockholm, the Tullsta nickel project comprises four contiguous granted permits and one application permit.

Granmuren was discovered in 2012 by drilling of a versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) survey anomaly.

According to Ragnar, Granmuren’s mineralisation comprises two thick fingers of highly-sulphidic pyroxenitic-gabbroic intrusions containing disseminated-blebby sulphide mineralisation with high tenure nickel-copper-cobalt.

3D modelling from the February IP-R survey defined drill targets at depth to potentially extend this mineralisation, and generated new untested targets.