South Boulder and Independence recommence drilling Duketon JV
THE DRILL SERGEANT: South Boulder Mines has announced the recommencement of diamond and RC resource definition and extension drilling at the Duketon Nickel Joint Venture (DNJV), located approximately 120 kilometres of Laverton in Western Australia.
South Boulder’s JV partner Independence Group is earning 70 per cent of the nickel rights at Duketon by sole funding exploration and development through to the completion of a Bankable Feasibility Study.
The JV has identified a number of drilling targets, which it plans to test at the Rosie and C2 nickel-copper-platinum group elements deposits.
Rosie Long-section showing drill hole intercepts, DHEM conductors and drill targets. Source: Company announcement
Exploration activities earmarked for the Rosie deposit include exploring strike extents of the Rosie system for additional resources, including structural target zones, in order to test for thicker high-grade zones within the Contact domain.
A maiden JORC Compliant Mineral Resource Estimate for the Rosie deposit was released in January.
The JV will conduct in-fill drilling at the C2 deposit to 50 metre sections.
This drilling will test for potential higher grade zones and better define the current resource outline.
The upcoming drilling program will also test beneath the TBRC034 target where a reconnaissance RC program in 2008 returned an oxide intercept of 4m at 0.44 per cent nickel, 0.19 per cent copper and 1.7 grams per tonne platinum and palladium.
The JV has also outlined testing of the Eastern contact of the Bulge Ultramafic, situated south of C2, on 100m spaced sections to explore for possible repeats of Rosie-style mineralisation between Rosie and the C2 Ni sulphide deposit.
“It is very pleasing to see exploration step up a notch at the DNJV with the most intensive drilling plans to date,” South Boulder Mines chief executive officer and managing director Lorry Hughes said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
“The mineralisation discovered to date at the DNJV is similar to other magmatic nickel systems that host long-life nickel mines.
“The Rosie JORC Compliant Resource Estimate completed in January provides a robust starting point for resource growth and I’m expecting many new discoveries.”
South Boulder said the total number of holes it plans to drill will be dependent upon results.
The company added however, that it expects up to 60 holes for around 16,000m will be completed in a continuous program over the next three months.