Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX: GAL) has commenced an aircore drilling programme at the company’s 100% owned Norseman project located within the Kambalda nickel belt of Western Australia.
Multiple prospective palladium and nickel targets have been developed based on soil sampling and drilling undertaken by the company.
Managing Director, Brad Underwood, said drilling has started on five priority palladium-nickel targets with additional prospects to also be tested in the present drill campaign
We are delighted to be underway with our aircore drill campaign at Norseman. The number of targets we have ready for testing gives us a strong pipeline of prospects which will lead to further RC/diamond drilling campaigns and with the ultimate goal of new resource discoveries. 10,000 metres of drilling allows us to cover the five-priority palladium-nickel targets as well as drilling new prospective areas at the Mt Thirsty and Woodcutters prospects,” Mr Underwood said.
“Aircore drilling is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete with assay results to follow. We look forward to updating the market with the results from this exciting new phase of drilling within a world class mining district.”
Aircore Drill Target Descriptions
Target JD1: Central position of the Jimberlana Dyke. Maximum palladium value in soil sampling from this area was 0.81 g/t Pd while maximum nickel recorded was 0.2% Ni. Geochemical anomalism is associated with outcropping Jimberlana Dyke layered intrusion. Prospective areas of the dyke to the north and south occur under shallow cover with soil sampling rendered invalid by the cover material. Aircore drilling is designed to extend over areas where cover prevents effective soil sampling.
Target JD2: Southern position of the Jimberlana Dyke where the dyke has breached a north striking sulphidic sediment stratigraphically beneath the Mission Sill intrusion. Maximum palladium value in soil sampling from this area was 0.32 g/t Pd and maximum nickel was 0.12% Ni.
Target MS1: Southern prospective contact zone between Mission Sill ultramafic and overlying gabbro. This is a similar geological position to where mineralisation occurs at known deposits such as the Lac des Iles mine in Canada and the Munni Munni deposit in Western Australia. Previous RC drilling recorded wide intersections of palladium such as 68 metres @ 0.2 g/t Pd.
interacted with the east-west trending Jimberlana Dyke. Maximum values up to 0.3 g/t Pd and 0.25% Ni in soil sampling from this location are associated with laterite-ironstone with prospective zones (as identified by magnetic interpretation) obscured by cover material.
Target MS3: Northern prospective contact zone between Mission Sill ultramafic and overlying gabbro. Ultramafic rock outcrops however the prospective contact position is mostly under shallow cover. Maximum palladium value in soil sampling from this area was 0.16 g/t Pd. Maximum nickel value was 0.19% Ni.
RC and/or diamond drilling will be undertaken after the completion of aircore drilling to follow up any anomalies resulting from the aircore programs. RC/diamond drilling will also test down dip and along strike of Galileo’s existing mineralised drill results within the Norseman Project area including palladium intersections such as:
- 27 metres @ 0.58 g/t Pd, 0.12 g/t Pt, 0.13 % Cu & 0.18% Ni (MTRC096), including 3 metres @ 1.1 g/t Pd, 0.19 g/t Pt, 0.23% Cu & 0.26% Ni; and
- 24 metres @ 0.51 g/t Pd, 0.08 g/t Pt, 0.10 % Cu & 0.15% Ni (MTRC086)
The grade within the sulphide zone at the Mt Thirsty prospect increases towards the east supporting the interpretation that increased mineralisation occurs within the target zone.
