A successful geophysical survey program has highlighted a number of highly prospective nickel sulphide targets for St George Mining at the company’s Mt Alexander project near Leonora in Western Australia.
Using a combination of seismic and electromagnetic surveys St George has highlighted three anomalies consistent with massive sulphides with one specific target, named the Manta prospect, to be prioritised for drilling.
The company says Manta is modelled as a discrete bedrock conductor located about 320m below surface in an area of the central greenstone belt at Mt Alexander.
The conductor is positioned near a large reflector that was identified through a seismic survey and has a strike of around 1000m with varying thickness.
Two other anomalies were identified at the granite-greenstone contact with a respective strike of 100m and 800m with modelling for both targets ongoing.
The company says all three anomalies have a geophysical signature consistent with massive sulphides.
The electromagnetic survey also covered the company’s Radar prospect that is largely unexplored and sits in the eastern extension of the Cathedrals Belt.
St George says the program identified a strong electromagnetic anomaly that is yet to be constrained and will require further surveys to identify the source.
Previous drilling at Radar returned a 4m intercept going 3 per cent nickel, 1.1 per cent copper and 2.2 grams per tonne platinum group elements.
The company says existing nickel sulphide discoveries along the Cathedrals Belt are all coincident with strong magnetic features similar to the latest discovery at Radar.
Two large anomalies were also modelled over St George’s Sultans prospect to the north of a hole that recorded a 1.3m hit at 1.9 per cent nickel and 0.3 per cent copper from 114.9m.
Despite challenges covering the terrain, initial data suggests a large and thick conductive source.
St George Mining Executive Chairman, John Prineas said: “We are delighted that the latest seismic and EM surveys have delivered a number of targets that have potential to add to our existing discoveries. Significantly, the new targets are in unexplored areas of the project identified as having potential for new, large deposits.”
St George says Mt Alexander is known to host high-grade nickel in other parts of the Yilgarn Craton, including the Flying Fox and Spotted Quoll deposits at Forrestania.
The Cathedrals, Stricklands, Investigators and Radar discoveries are part of a joint venture between St George and IGO subsidiary Western Areas.
The company says it will conduct a fixed loop electromagnetic survey over the latest anomalies to provide final modelling for drilling that is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of the year.
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By Matt Birney
