Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX: GAL) is using the latest in electromagnetic (EM) surveying technology to define of nickel targets for the next round of drilling at the company’s highly prospective tenements in the Fraser Range region of Western Australia.
Managing Director, Brad Underwood, said fixed loop electro-magnetic (FLEM) surveying of the Lantern North and South Prospects is now underway with the full programme expected to be finished within 10 days.
We have spent the last 18 months developing our understanding of the nickel potential at our Fraser Range tenements,” Mr Underwood said.
“We now know we have similar host rocks to those at the operating Nova nickel mine, and our first RC drilling programme in the area showed disseminated nickel-copper sulphides.
“The present round of EM surveying is designed to refine our targets for more advanced drill testing. Once the EM results become available, we will finalise planning of the RC and diamond drilling programs which are scheduled to begin in July.”
Mr Underwood said EM surveying is a very useful tool in the exploration for nickel sulphide mineralisation due to the conductive response of sulphide minerals that contain nickel.
Massive and semi-massive nickel deposits regularly exhibit conductive signatures when a current is passed through the earth. However, disseminated sulphides, and deposits with complex geometry, may only provide subdued conductive responses.
Initial Moving Loop EM surveying at Lantern North showed a significant response over a 1500m zone. Fixed loop surveying over the same area aims to produce more definitive data resulting in higher accuracy modelled conductors for drill testing. Additional loops will be used at the Lantern South Prospect to direct drilling efforts toward the most prospective locations for economic mineralisation.
Initial RC drilling at Lantern South yielded results of 12m @ 0.38% nickel and 0.33% copper in LARC003 with the occurrence of mineralisation showing the potential of rocks in the area to host nickel- copper sulphides.
The low frequency FLEM survey will utilise 600m by 600m square loops positioned to provide optimal coupling with conductors observed in the initial MLEM survey. A receiver station spacing of 50 metres will be used in the survey array with the full survey expected to be completed in ten days.
Galileo also reported that aircore drilling within the Lantern area has been completed with 8839m drilled and assays pending. Aircore drilling was designed to provide geological information on the target basement rocks beneath sedimentary cover.
Data from the drilling programme will be used to construct a geological map of the basement rock highlighting those areas with potential for mineralisation. The geological interpretation will also supply a basis for the interpretation and prioritisation of conductors that are anticipated to result from the EM survey currently underway.
Upcoming work programmes planned at the Lantern Prospect include: Integration of aircore drilling data into nickel prospectivity maps; Fixed loop electro-magnetic (FLEM) surveying of prospective zones defined from the 2019 MLEM survey and from aircore drilling (currently underway); and Reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drill testing of targets defined by EM surveying and shallow drilling.
