Rimfire Pacific Mining has returned more strong cobalt intercepts from New South Wales, confirming broad, high-grade zones from the first drilling to focus on the silvery-blue metal at its fully owned Bald Hill project in decades.
A headline intersection of 125m @ 0.13% Co from 198m included 97m @ 0.15% Co from 226m, associated with fresh sulphides within highly deformed and metamorphosed host rocks.
A 58m @ 0.13% Co from 62m intercept also revealed new copper potential, returning with a 6m @ 0.51% Cu strike from 56m.
Rimfire Managing Director David Hutton said the company was delighted with outstanding results from the site’s first cobalt-focused drilling in over 40 years.
“Having confirmed and expanded on the historic results, our focus now turns to undertaking a follow up drill program to scope out the size potential of Bald Hill. To assist in locating the next phase of drillholes, high resolution ground magnetic surveying and geological mapping will start next week,” Mr Hutton said.
“Bald Hill looks to be a game-changer and is the clear priority for us now. Rimfire looks forward to providing updates as information comes to hand.”
Broken Hill battery
Given its location 30 kilometres west of the Silver City of Broken Hill, past exploration has largely focused on silver, zinc, and lead at Bald Hill.
North Broken Hill Limited’s drilling returned multiple high-grade cobalt intercepts in 1981, but largely known then for its painting applications, was never followed up on.
But cobalt is now a highly sought after raw material in the lithium-ion industry, with its high melting point and ability to maintain strength at raised temperatures finding new uses across a range of materials.
The Broken Hill area has since shown its shine for cobalt, and Cobalt Blue’s advanced Broken Hill Cobalt Project 10 kilometres away from Bald Hill hosts a 118 Mt at .0859% resource and a lofty production target which, if met, would have Broken Hill outproducing all but four countries.
Rimfire see these new drilling results as highlighting its own potential to hold a significantly large cobalt system at similar or higher grades to its peers and will soon begin ground magnetic surveys and geological mapping as it plots the next round of drilling.
