Gateway Mining gets pleasant drilling surprise
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Gateway Mining (ASX: GML) received a surprise while conducting a Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program at the company’s project tenements, located in the Archaean Yilgarn Craton on the Gum Creek Greenstone Belt in Gidgee, Western Australia.
Gateway drilled nine holes on tenement M57/633, which is subject to a joint venture agreement with Panoramic Resources with the intention to develop further understanding of and test for extensions to The Cup VMS copper system.
One of these holes, GRC283, unexpectedly intersected copper-nickel sulphides in ultramafic host rock, which Gateway said represents a new style of mineralisation for The Cup area.
“In light of the strong copper-nickel massive sulphide mineralisation intersected in GRC283, pulps were sent for assaying in platinum and palladium to test for a potential nickel-copper-PGE style of mineralisation,” Gateway Mining said in its ASX announcement.
Magnetic Survey of southern portion of tenement package. Source: Company announcement
Gateway has been encouraged by what it has seen with the intersection returning: 4 metres at 0.32 grams per tonne platinum and 0.55g/t palladium.
This contributed to the full result for the intersection of:
GRC283:
4m at 1.03 per cent copper, 0.44 per cent nickel, 0.32g/t platinum and 0.55g/t palladium from 137m.
“Most nickel-copper-PGE mineralisation in the Yilgarn is komatiitic ‘Kambalda type’ mineralisation,” Gateway explained.
“However, the intersection in GRC283 is much more supportive of an intrusive related nickel-copper-PGE style of mineralisation.
“This intersection occurred in rocks of ultramafic geochemical composition with significant massive sulphide content.
“This is the first time ultramafic rocks have been intersected in The Cup area (previously it was thought the stratigraphic sequence was dominantly felsic to intermediate volcaniclastic).”
Gateway completed a MLTEM survey in August/September, which identified a new conductor beneath The Cup horizon extending further to the south, away from The Cup VMS copper mineralisation.
The company originally considered the conductor to be unrelated to The Cup, which was why it was not the immediate choice for Gateway’s first drilling on the joint venture tenement.
“In light of the potential nickel-copper-PGE intrusive style of mineralisation, however, this conductor takes on new significance,” Gateway said.
“The intersection in GRC283 lies proximal to but above this new conductor.
“Further work is required to understand the geometry and nature of the mineralisation.”
Gateway indicated it is about to commence a fixed loop survey, which it hopes will provide a better definition of the conductor.
The company’s preliminary analysis suggests the conductor is approximately 800m in length and lies approximately 180m beneath the surface.
Email:
info@gatewaymining.com.au
Website:
www.gatewaymining.com.au