Far from traditional grams to the tonne gold, ASX-listed Cyclone Metals is pulling gold nuggets weighing up to 20.5 grams a piece from its wholly-owned Nickol River project in Western Australia’s West Pilbara region about 10 kilometres east of Karratha.
The latest nuggets come from the 18 test pits dug back in January and total 76 grams of the precious yellow metal. The explorer says with the latest results in hand, planning for a maiden drill program will now begin.
The sub audio magnetics, or ‘SAM’ survey that started in October 2021 is now complete and interpreted and Cyclone said the test pits are now being located on the interpreted SAM structures for validation.
Importantly, the positive results from the test pits indicate the survey has been successful in identifying gold-bearing structures.
The company proposed running the SAM survey to penetrate through the thin 4m veneer of veiling cover that impeded earlier explorers’ efforts in the area - as early as 1889.
Historical gold production at Nickol River came in the form of small-scale mining and dry blowing activities and is estimated to have produced 13kg of gold between the period of 1900 to 1911.
Further trial mining operations in 1984 and 1985 recovered grades of 0.33 grams per tonne gold and 0.15 g/t, respectively. Notably, the operation in 1985 scaled up significantly to a 40 tonne per hour plant from the previously used 10tph plant.
The SAM survey was the first modern technique to pass over the project since its discovery and with the limited exploration, it revealed plenty of targets left on the table for Cyclone with numerous areas highlighted for test pits.
On the 6th of October 2021, the company expanded its footprint by tacking on an additional two tenements east and west of its original holdings.
In January the explorer pulled out multiple specimen nuggets weighing up to 712 grams from the 18 test pits and importantly, it saw the gold was still within quartz veins, indicating primary gold. Cyclone was emboldened by the find as it could mean it is onto the potential source of the eluvial gold mined in the broader area according to the company.
Interestingly ‘specimen gold’, or gold in quartz veins, can be a popular collector’s item and often features in museums.
In addition to further mapping, sampling, test pits and drilling, the explorer also intends to run the metal detector over the area.
Whilst the existence of nuggets on a project is not always an indicator of mineralisation at depth, it is a good start and the existence of gold in the quartz veins is also significant – potentially instantly answering the question; “where did the nuggets come from ?”
The question now is just how much gold is hiding down there - and only time will tell.
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