Tambourah Metals welcomes award of Achilles exploration incentive grant
The merit of Tambourah Metals’ (ASX: TMB) exploration strategy for its Achilles nickel project has been recognised with the company being awarded an EIS grant for co-funded drilling by the Western Australian government.
Tambourah’s application was one of 36 recipients selected for the recent EIS co-funded drilling grants.
The company is planning to commence its drilling campaign at Achilles, which is located in the district scale nickel sulphide region of north-east Laverton, from December 2023.
Under the EIS drilling program, the government grant will co-fund 50% of the forecast drilling and mobilisation costs up to a maximum of $180,000.
Highly prospective multi-element target
Tambourah’s executive chairman, Rita Brooks, said Achilles is highly prospective for hosting nickel, copper and platinum group elements in ultramafic rocks and rare earth elements in saprolite clays.
“Tambourah geologists have identified 22 discrete conductors from detailed airborne EM surveys completed in 2023. 3D modelling of the AEM data has shown that limited historic drilling failed to intersect the drill targets,” Ms Brooks said.
“Inversion modelling of the AEM and magnetic data was completed in April, with an emphasis on defining strong discrete conductors within the highly magnetic stratigraphy. Those discrete conductors are most likely associated with sulphide mineralisation.”
Historic drilling record
Tambourah’s exploration team has compiled historic drill results from the area and found that none of the proposed 22 conductors have been drill tested previously.
The company’s primary target is an area of known disseminated sulphides and ultramafic host rocks, whilst new conductors were identified across all the magnetic belts in several locations within the tenure.
“Ultramafic rocks, which are the hosts to the disseminated sulphides have previously demonstrated elevated historic nickel assay results, as noted in historic drill logs. Such disseminated sulphides are present across the magnetic highs, from the AEM survey at Achilles, noting most of the surveyed magnetic highs at Achilles have never been drilled,” the executive chairman noted.
The discrete AEM targets are associated with magnetic highs and located at depths between 180m to 300m below surface.
Olympia riches highlight regional potential
The potential of Achilles has been highlighted by the nearby Olympia deposit which is reported to contain a resource of 573 million tonnes of ore grading 1.63% nickel, 1.19% copper, 0.08% cobalt, 1.49 grams per tonne palladium and 0.85g/t platinum.
Only 10 kilometres south of Achilles, Olympia has been found to be host to highly magnetic ultramafic rocks associated with an AEM conductor.
According to Ms Brooks, the ultramafic rocks at Olympia, strike directly into the Achilles project, with the two projects hosting a combined strike length of approximately 30 kilometres.
In the lead-up to a potential RC/DD drilling program in the new year, Tambourah has commenced planning for an EM ground survey at Achilles.
“We would like to thank the Western Australian Government and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety for their continued support of the exploration industry. We are looking forward to commencing exploration at the Achilles Project,” Ms Brooks said.