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Exploration update: Nickel Mountain

 

Published by
Global Mining Review,

Garibaldi Resources (Garibaldi) has provided an exploration update for its nickel-copper-rich massive sulfide discovery at Nickel Mountain, 11 miles southwest of Eskay Creek, in British Columbia, Canada.

Technical Adviser to Garibaldi and one of the world's leading experts in nickel sulfide deposits, Dr. Peter Lightfoot, commented: "The depth and lateral extent of nickel-copper-rich sulfide mineralisation in the Discovery and Northwest zones is entirely open, creating a compelling combination of high grades and potential scale with this unique Eskay Camp system. A major expansion of drilling will be guided by an enhanced geological understanding and proof of concept with geophysics. In addition, the Garibaldi nickel team is very excited about the potential for new discoveries along a multi-kilometre-long trend to the northeast."

"Compositional differences in the massive sulfides between the Discovery and Northwest zones, together with the chaotic variable textured rocks in both areas, points to the ideal scenario of a multi-stage mineralisng event at Nickel Mountain," Lightfoot added.

Garibaldi prepares to launch 2018 programme

Preparations are well underway for an aggressive and fully-funded 2018 exploration campaign scheduled to commence this quarter, as soon as weather conditions allow, beginning with a geophysics program to further assess the two HC plates and prioritise drill targets. This will be followed shortly thereafter by a resumption of drilling beginning with EL-18-15.

HC1 & HC2

Modelling of data from the borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) surveys was merged with last year's airborne VTEM data and has resulted in the interpretation of two large highly conductive anomalies (>10 000 Siemens) south of 2017 drilling.

HC1 trends north-south (approximate 200-m length) while HC2 trends northeast-southwest (approximate 300-m length). According to Garibaldi, such high-quality conductors are of the type to be expected to represent massive sulfides but can only be confirmed as such by drilling. Geological analysis suggests the possibility that HC1 connects to the massive sulfide intercept in EL-17-14, highlighted by 8.3% nickel and 4.2% copper over 16.75 m (approximate true width, see 8 December 2017 news release), starting at a depth of 123.75 m.

 

EL17-13 was instrumental in identifying both HC1 and HC2 as it was an exploratory hole drilled into the southern lobe of the mapped Nickel Mountain Intrusive Complex to serve as a platform for BHEM geophysics probing. Visual analysis of drill core in EL-17-13 indicated sections of fine-grained disseminated sulfides, samples of which are being assayed with results pending.

Massive sulfide discovery zone

EL-17-10 was drilled into the Discovery zone east of the historic E&L deposit below the massive sulfide intercept in EL-17-04, confirming EL-17-09 and EL-17-14. This hole ran parallel to EL-17-09 and will provide ample massive sulfide for inclusion in preliminary metallurgical testing.

 

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Canadian mining news