Mining

Western Mines completes third drill hole in Mulga Tank exploration program

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By Imelda Cotton - 
Western Mines Group ASX WMG drill bedrock conductors Mulga Tank nickel copper PGE project Western Australia

Western Mines Group has defined “numerous exciting drill targets” at its Mulga Tank nickel-copper-PGE project, with a rig and crew expected on site next week.

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Western Mines Group (ASX: WMG) has reported the completion of a third diamond hole at the Mulga Tank nickel-copper-PGE (platinum group elements) project in Western Australia.

It is part of a 10-hole program for a total 4,050 metres testing numerous drill targets generated from the company’s geological targeting work.

The hole was drilled to a depth of 396.6m on the western margin of the Mulga Tank intrusion and is 600m north of the previous hole.

It is believed to have encountered different geology to the first two holes of the program, with komatiite ultramafic indicating a higher position in the system and appearing to confirm the exploration model for Panhandle, which is a channel-like feature of the Mulga Tank intrusion that extends to the northwest.

Interbedded komatiite ultramafic flows and metasediments were observed down the hole above a basalt footwall.

Remobilised nickel sulphide blebs were visible infrequently within some of the komatiite layers and confirmed by spot pXRF (portable xray fluorescence) readings of up to 11.5% nickel.

pXRF readings

Western Mines is methodically using pXRF as part of its exploration and geochemical vectoring approach during the drilling program.

Spot readings for the third hole were taken at regular half-metre intervals down the core, with 533 readings collected from 136m to end of the hole.

The mean average nickel value across all readings was 0.16%, while the mean average nickel value for 437 readings of the logged ultramafic portion of the hole was 0.19%.

Individual spot values of up to 11.5% nickel were also recorded in areas where sulphide mineralisation was observed.

All data is processed using Western Mines’ in-house techniques and used to confirm the presence of working magmatic mineral processes and lithogeochemical vectors to aid further exploration and drill targeting.

Encouraging results

Western Mines managing director Caedmon Marriott said the company was encouraged by results from the first three holes at Mulga Tank.

“These holes tested approximately 2km strike of the previously unexplored western margin of the intrusion and largely drilled over the top of the modelled W conductor electromagnetic plate,” he said.

“Given the very encouraging remobilised sulphides seen in the first three holes, we have planned an additional hole to test beneath these at depth, towards the centre of the W conductor target.”