Ardea Resources Limited (ASX:ARL) has confirmed a strong chargeability anomaly has been returned from an Induced Polarisation (IP) survey recently completed at the Black Range Prospect in WA.
The Black Range Prospect is located 65km north-west of Kalgoorlie within the broader Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP) and contains a five kilometre section of the Ora Banda Sill layered mafic/ultramafic sill enriched in nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), scandium (Sc) and platinum group element (PGE) metals.
The Ora Banda Sill is 2.5 km wide in the prospect area and has a distinctive ultramafic base, grading into a pyroxenite zone (target horizon) before passing into a mafic gabbro at the top of the sill.
Managing Director, Andrew Penkethman, said IP chargeability anomalies can relate to zones of disseminated sulphides which may represent the outer halo around massive sulphide occurrences. The IP anomaly at Black Range is potentially related to a lava feeder zone/pipe within the Ora Banda Sill that is enriched in Ni-Cu-PGE metals. A 280m reverse circulation (RC) drillhole is proposed to test the anomaly at depth.
Ardea remains focussed on their Kalgoorlie Nickel Project nickel laterite and developing this project to provide sustainable and ethical nickel and Critical Mineral supply for the rapidly expanding lithium-ion battery supply chain. In tandem with this priority, compelling nickel sulphide and Critical Mineral exploration opportunities continue to be evaluated that can provide further upside,” Mr Penkethman said.
The recently defined IP anomaly at Black Range occurring in association with a very strong Ni-Cu-PGE geochemical anomaly is highly significant. The Ni-Cu-PGE anomalism has been known about for some time, but a clear vector to test for the metal source in fresh rock had not previously been defined.
“With the results from Ardea’s recent IP survey, the anomaly defined now provides a clear drill target and impetus to test this zone at depth with the goal of making a significant discovery.
“Some of the most significant Ni-Cu-PGE discoveries including Nova and Julimar have been within Layered Mafic Complexes as they can have large scale potential. As such, the Black Range anomaly represents an exciting and compelling drill target. The Ardea team look forward to drill testing this feature once a suitable drill rig becomes available.”
