Western Mines Group identifies new nickel system at Mulga Tank

Western Mines Group (ASX: WMG) has identified a significant new nickel system on the back of drilling at the Mulga Tank nickel-copper-platinum group elements (PGE) project in Western Australia.

Assays from a hole funded by the WA Government Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) grant confirmed the discovery of an extensive disseminated sulphide mineral system throughout the ultramafic complex.

Elevated levels of nickel and tin were coincident with highly anomalous copper and PGE, and are considered strong evidence for a “live” magmatic sulphide chemical process.

Best intersections

Best intersections were: 78m at 0.28% nickel, 131 parts per million cobalt, 70ppm copper and 32 parts per billion platinum-palladium from 118m, including 20m at 0.38% nickel, 137ppm cobalt, 57ppm copper and 45ppb platinum-palladium from 176m and 306m at 0.26% nickel, 130ppm cobalt, 47ppm copper and 24ppb platinum-palladium from 402m; and 221.5m at 0.25% nickel, 116ppm cobalt, 68ppm copper and 23ppb platinum-palladium from 794.5m, including 11.5m at 0.37% nickel, 134ppm cobalt, 75ppm copper and 43ppb platinum-palladium from 794.5m and 88m at 0.44% nickel, 151ppm cobalt, 85ppm copper and 38ppb platinum-palladium from 1,212m.

Cumulatively, these total 693.5m at 0.28% nickel, 128ppm cobalt, 61ppm copper and 27ppb platinum-palladium.

Assays confirm nickel-copper-PGE mineralisation in the remobilised massive nickel sulphide veinlets seen down hole and include 1.5m at 1.88% nickel, 670ppm cobalt, 429ppm copper and 76ppb platinum-palladium from 402m including 1m at 2.2% nickel, 779ppm cobalt, 490ppm copper and 86ppb platinum-palladium from 402.5m.

Big in more ways than one

Western Mines managing director Dr Caedmon Marriott said the EIS hole is big in more ways than one.

“We were aiming to drill the deepest part of the complex to gather the greatest amount of geological information we could… it could well be a pivotal hole for us, with the results confirming visual observations of extensive disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation,” he said.

“The hole validates our geological model of the complex and really demonstrates a significant working nickel sulphide mineral system with huge volumes of mineralised ultramafic magma.”

Dr Marriott said the system appears to have a large footprint across the complex and the Mulga Tank dunite body could host significant tonnes of mineralisation similar to BHP’s (ASX: BHP) Mt Keith nickel deposit.