Western Mines appoints exploration manager ahead of drilling at Mulga Tank nickel-copper-PGE project
Maiden drilling at Western Mines’ WA project has hit anomalous gold mineralisation in all five holes.
Perth-based junior Western Mines Group (ASX: WMG) has appointed nickel exploration geologist Travis Kerslake to the role of exploration manager.
Mr Kerslake has over 20 years of experience in international mineral exploration throughout Australia, Africa, Asia and South America, predominantly in the areas of nickel, copper and gold.
He spent the early part of his career with Western Mining Corporation’s Nebo Babel nickel sulphide deposit team, before working for a number of nickel and gold exploration companies around Western Australia including Western Areas (ASX: WSA, at the Cosmos nickel mine) and Creasy Group (Silver Knight and Fraser Range projects).
As part of Mr Kerslake’s remuneration package, Western Mines will issue 500,000 options over ordinary shares at a price of $0.30 per share, exercisable within three years of issue.
Mulga Tank drilling
Mr Kerslake’s appointment comes ahead of an upcoming drilling program at Western Mines’ flagship Mulga Tank nickel-copper-platinum group elements (PGE) project, northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
The company has received approval for a program of work comprising 30 diamond holes and is in discussions with a number of drilling contractors.
Planning of the logistics required to establish an exploration camp at the project site is also in progress and will allow drilling to commence as soon as possible after the completion of an ongoing moving loop electromagnetic (MLEM) survey and targeting work.
The survey is being conducted over 28 square kilometres of ultramafic intrusion to explore for electromagnetic bedrock conductors which could be associated with deposits of massive nickel-copper-PGE sulphides.
Strong role
Western Mines managing director Caedmon Marriott said Mr Kerslake will play a strong role in the Mulga Tank program.
“He has already been adding valuable insight into our exploration targeting and negotiations with diamond drilling companies,” he said.
“Whilst the conclusion of our MLEM survey has been somewhat delayed, all the lead items required to establish a remote exploration camp are underway in order to commence drilling as soon as we can.”
Mr Marriott said the company will provide further details on drilling plans including identified targets once all parts of the survey are completed.
Minigwal location
The Mulga Tank project comprises one exploration licence and two licence applications covering the Minigwal greenstone belt near Kalgoorlie.
The belt is a north-northwest trending linear sequence of predominantly mafic and ultramafic lithologies and is considered to be underexplored due to the presence of shallow sand cover.
It presents Western Mines with a “frontier” exploration opportunity for major nickel-copper-PGE and orogenic gold deposits.
During the December quarter, the company acquired new ground from Duketon Mining (ASX: DKM), expanding Mulga Tank’s total area from 113 square kilometres to 395sq km over approximately 37km strike.
The acquisition gives Western Mines a dominant position in the region.