Adavale Resources Limited (ASX:ADD) has been granted four nickel sulphide prospecting licences by the Tanzanian Mining Commission. The four licences are designated as Burigi, Burigi North, Kabanga East and Kabanga West licences.
Adavale’s licences now total six with a combined area of 1127 sq. km. The licences are located within the prospective nickel sulphide Karagwe Ankolean Belt and are proximal to the world class Kabanga Nickel Deposit containing 58.2Mt @ 2.62% Ni (Measured, Indicated and Inferred, Glencore 2014).
This belt is considered prospective for the following reasons:
- Meso-Proterozoic circum-cratonic tectonic setting analogous to that which hosts the Thomson Belt, Raglan and Voisey’s Bay nickel sulphide deposits in the Circum-Superior Belt of eastern Canada and the Nova-Bollinger deposit in the Albany-Fraser Belt in Western Australia.
- Target mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions have been emplaced into a sulphur bearing package of sediments including pelites, iron sulphides and graphite that provide the sulphur source required for the formation of magmatic nickel sulphide deposits.
- Several of the intrusions along the belt are mineralised either with Ni- sulphides, Ni bearing laterites or both including Kabanga, Musongati, Nyabikere and Waga.
CEO Allan Ritchiesaid Adavale’s licences were targeted within this prospective belt utilising historical BHP and UNDP data through identifying a combination of stream/soil anomalies and magnetic lows (possibly indicating underlying mafic/ultramafic intrusions).
The granting of these licences is timely as the Adavale geological teams are currently in the field undertaking an initial exploration programme,” Mr Ritchie said.
“This programme can now be extended to include Adavale’s new tenure and the outcome of this initial phase will allow exploration to focus on anomalous areas which will be targeted with a more detailed soil sampling programme and subsequent ground EM leading to initial drilling in 2021.”
The six licences now owned by Adavale are located within the Karagwe Ankolean Belt along strike from the Kabanga deposit. The Kabanga deposit is characterised by a magnetic low and anomalous stream sediment results. The current exploration program will continue to focus on identifying these same features within all the Adavale licences. (Magnetic lows are significant as they show potential for underlying mafic-ultramafic intrusions which in turn may host Ni-sulphide mineralisation).
BURIGI AND BURIGI NORTH PROSPECTING LICENCES
Burigi is characterised by a Ni-Cu-Co-Cr stream sediment/soil anomaly proximal to a magnetic low (potentially indicating an underlying mafic/ultramafic intrusion). The Burigi soil anomaly has an extent of about 900m by 250m.
Burigi North features a large magnetic low which could be related to an underlying intrusion. Soil sampling will be implemented to assist in detecting mineralisation that may be associated with this feature.
KABANGA EAST AND KABANGA WEST PROSPECTING LICENCES
These licences, along with the previously granted Kabanga North and Kabanga North East licences, straddle the Kabanga Nickel Deposit. Initial XRF results are encouraging and once selected samples have been cross-checked through SGS Tanzania and data collated the extent of any potential anomalies and their coincidence with magnetic lows will be verified.
