An exploration blitz combining air-core drilling and electromagnetic surveys has identified highly prospective new targets for Legend Mining across its Rockford multi-metal project in WA’s Goldfields region.
The company says the site’s potential has been highlighted by the recent discovery of nickel-copper occurrences at Legend’s Mawson and Octagonal prospects that sit within the greater Rockford project.
The explorer has recently completed a total of 161 air-core holes across more than 13,000m as part of a 30,000m campaign over selected sites at Rockford.
The drilling was targeting a combination of aeromagnetic and gravity features interpreted to represent ultramafic and mafic intrusives within the same structural domain as Mawson.
First-pass assay results across a section of the Mawson prospect produced a positive 12m intercept at 0.1 per cent nickel and 0.09 per cent copper from 58m that the company says is encouraging for future diamond drilling.
Previous diamond drilling at Legend’s Mawson nickel, copper and cobalt discovery recorded massive nickel sulphides from a suite of prospective host rocks.
The company says mineralisation at Octagonal shows all the characteristics of a fertile magmatic nickel-copper sulphide system similar to the Nova-Bollinger and Silver Knight deposits in the Albany-Fraser Belt.
Octagonal sits within the same structural corridor that hosts the Nova and Silver Knight intrusions and nickel-copper-cobalt deposits.
A maiden diamond drilling program at the Octagonal prospect last year hit a broad zone of blebby and semi-massive nickel-copper sulphides.
Legend Mining Managing Director, Mark Wilson said: “The new Mawson model and the first seismic model from Octagonal promise exciting diamond drill targets at both locations in 2023.”
The greater Rockford project covers more than 3000 square kilometres of tenure within the Fraser Range about 250km east of Kalgoorlie.
The region was highlighted nearly a decade ago following Sirius Resources’ Nova-Bollinger nickel, copper and platinum discovery about 120km away.
A 14.3 million tonne resource going 2.3 per cent nickel and 0.9 per cent copper has subsequently been defined at the now producing Nova-Bollinger mine operated by mining giant IGO Limited.
Legend says following a review of regional aeromagnetic and gravity datasets, previous air-core drilling and lithological domain mapping 12 areas have been selected for follow up with high-power electromagnetic surveying with four completed.
All four completed targets identified conductors whilst the surveying is currently targeting a fifth section.
Plans for a 3D seismic survey across selected targets at Rockford are ongoing with approval received from the WA Department of Mining, Industry Regulation and Safety.
The data collection phase of the survey is expected to begin as soon as next month.
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By Matt Birney
