Sirius confirms high-grade Nova nickel
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Sirius Resources (ASX:SIR) has taken delivery of assay results from the first of several holes it has drilled through thick zones of sulphide mineralisation at the company’s Nova nickel-copper discovery.
Sirius said the results have confirmed the presence of high-grade nickel plus copper.
The hole was drilled on the 600N line, which Sirius has previously visually described as 19.6 metres comprising 5.9 metres of disseminated, 3.9 metres of stringer and breccia, 5.4 metres of massive and 4.4 metres of breccia and stringer sulphides.
Cross section 600N showing drilling to date. Source: Company announcement
The results showed the drilling had intersected:
4.5 metres at 0.23 per cent nickel, 1.16 per cent copper and 3.9 grams per tonne silver from 263.9 metres; followed by
13.3m at 3.9 per cent nickel, 2 per cent copper, 0.12 per cent cobalt and 3.7g/t silver from 268.4m, including 7.15m at 5.1 per cent nickel, 2.35 per cent copper, 0.15 per cent cobalt and 4g/t silver from 271.9m.
“The results confirm the high grade nature of the nickel-copper sulphide mineralisation at Nova and attest to the potential robustness of the deposit,” Sirius Resources said in its ASX announcement.
“The high cobalt values, the nickel and copper tenor (ie, the grade of nickel and copper in massive sulphide) and the nickel-to-copper ratios are similar to those seen in the Voisey’s Bay deposit in Labrador (Canada).”
Sirius has also completed a further three diamond drill holes, the first of which (SFRD0049) was drilled 70m down dip from a previously reported hole (SFRD0044) drilled on the 600N line.
This hole intersected:
An upper zone of 4.1m of stringer and disseminated sulphides from 405.9m;
A lower zone of 5.2m of massive, stringer and disseminated sulphides from 413.8 metres; and
A footwall zone of 7.0m of disseminated sulphides from 419m.
Sirius said it had now defined mineralisation over 300m down dip on this line.
The second hole of the latest diamond holes (SFRD0053) was drilled 55m down dip from a previous hole (SFRD0046W1) on the 700N line and intersected:
An upper zone of 23.1m of disseminated sulphides and 1m of massive sulphides from 359m; followed by
A lower zone of 16.5m comprising massive, breccia and stringer sulphides from 392.9m.
Thick mineralisation has now been defined over 120m down dip by the first three holes Sirius has drilled on this line.
The third diamond hole (SFRD0051) was drilled on the 550N infill line towards the southern end of the target, and intersected a 5.5m thick zone of stringer and breccia sulphides from 218.1m.
Sirius indicated further assays for other thick sulphide intercepts from the drilling conducted on the 600N line are expected within two weeks.
Down hole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveying is underway and drilling is continuing.
