Peak Minerals Ltd (ASX: PUA) has commenced Phase 2 of the air core drill programme to test the Tal Val Prospect and Target B at the Green Rocks Project in Western Australia.
The drill programme is designed to test geochemical and geophysical anomalies at Tal Val and Target B which are interpreted to be magmatic intrusions.
The expectation is that assay results from air core drilling will: a) confirm the presence of Lady Alma Igneous Complex; b) map geology and contacts; and c) confirm the presence or potential for magmatic sulphides.
CEO Jennifer Neild said Phase 2 of the air core drill program is an important next step in recognising Tal Val and Target B as part of the Lady Alma Igneous Complex.
“We’ve worked out the geochemistry at Rixon and we can apply this characterisation to Tal Val and Target B effectively reducing work timeframes.
“The geochemistry in combination with the Heli-EM acquired earlier this year will help us confirm whether these are magmatic targets. The air core programme over this untested position is the best first step to test the prospectivity of these intrusions.”
The potential for copper and nickel mineralisation at the Tal Val Prospect has not been revisited since the 1970’s.
In 1969, Anglo American identified the area as a potential host for nickel mineralisation. Historical mapping shows at least two different stages of mafic and ultramafic rocks. Results indicate anomalous Ni and Cu values both near surface and at depth such as 5.96m at 0.51% Ni from 2.98m and 10.64m at 0.68% Cu from 45.6m including, 1.52m at 1.8% Cu.
It is interpreted that Anglo American was exploring for komatiite hosted nickel (Kambalda was discovered in 1966) and that the assays collected were not sufficient to indicate magmatic nickel potential.
In 2013, Mithril reviewed this project and determined that the nickel was related to silicate ultramafic, and that copper was remobilised along shears similar to Copper Hills Prospect.
Reconnaissance by Peak completed in May 2021 identified a gossan high in copper with no drilling. One RC hole was planned to test under this area and intersected 1m at 1.51% Cu from 170m and 2m at 0.65% Cu from 206m in chalcopyrite disseminated sulphide. The geology intersected indicated that the main intrusion was to the south.
The area being targeted in this drill programme has not been drill tested, is remanently magnetic and is associated with an historical VTEM anomaly identified through reprocessing. Historical or recent drilling does not intersect the VTEM anomaly.
Additionally, rock chip samples showed anomalous Ni values which are attributed to the lithology with 0.31% Ni, and 0.27% Ni and a single rock chip value of 3.25% Cu.
Target B is a 925m x 500m magnetic feature with central zone that is remanently magnetised, similar to Rixon.
Previous exploration by Dominion Mining in the 1990’s intersected sheared ultramafic and fine-grained basalts on the eastern contact of the interpreted intrusion while exploring for gold. There is no outcrop in the area and the remanent zone of the interpreted intrusion has not been drill tested.
