Breakaway Resources' (ASX: BRW) drilling at its 19 Mile North Target in the Leinster District has encountered similar rock types to known nickel deposits within the Leinster District.
High MgO ultramafics were intercepted at broad downhole widths (+30 metres) in three of the five holes drilled at the 19 Mile North Target in the Leinster District.
In addition, drilling has also identified a Nickel–PGE anomalism with a new DHTEM off-hole conductor at the Bakers Target at the southern end of the Mt Clifford Project.
Significantly, the drill holes represent the first deep nickel–focussed test of the area and the new information will greatly assist in refining the area’s current geological model and will underpin the reassessment of surface EM data acquired by Breakaway in 2010.
Drilling at the targets within the company's priority Leinster District in Western Australia, are south along strike from Xstrata’s (LON: XTA) Cosmos nickel deposits (+0.5 million tonnes nickel (Ni) metal).
As well as reinforcing the prospectivity of the 19 Mile North and Bakers Targets, the drill program effectively highlights the priority areas for future nickel exploration within Breakaway’s Wildara Project Group
and Miranda Project.
David Hutton, Breakaway's managing director, said the confirmation of prospective ultramafic rock types at 19 Mile North reinforced the company’s strong confidence in the area’s prospectivity.
“It is our belief that the area represents the southern extension of the Mt Goode Ultramafic Belt which hosts Xstrata’s Cosmos Nickel Deposits further to the north and further highlights the area as one of the most exciting nickel target areas within the Leinster District.”
The results of reverse circulation (RC)/ diamond drilling program at 19 Mile North, which lies at the northern end of the Miranda Project, are significant given that "the majority of the known nickel sulphide deposits within the Leinster District are intimately associated with the same high MgO ultramafic rock types," the company said.
The target lies within the interpreted southern extension of the Mt Goode Ultramafic Belt which hosts the Cosmos Nickel Deposits about 15 kilometres to the north.
Drilling at the Bakers Target, located at the southern end of the Mt Clifford Project, also intersected nickel–PGE (platinum group elements) anomalism within a prospective high MgO ultramafic.
This ultramafic is interpreted to be the southern extension of the Roadside Ultramafic Belt which hosts Breakaway’s Horn Nickel Deposit (JORC Inferred Resource of 600,000 tonnes (t) at 1.39% Ni, 0.2% copper (Cu) - 8,300t nickel metal) further to the north.
Highlights from vein, breccia and stringer sulphides sampling within the drillholes include:
- 4.33m @ 0.37%Ni, 0.12%Cu, 161ppbPt+Pd from 246.00 metres; and
- 0.38m @ 0.44%Ni, 0.16%Cu, 81ppbPt+Pd from 280.95 metres.
Follow-up downhole TEM (DHTEM) surveying of the Bakers drillholes also identified a new offhole conductor which may require further drill testing.
Two diamond holes were also drilled to test historic surface EM conductors at the Glenoran and Jezebel Targets, which are located in the western and north-eastern part of the Wildara Project Group respectively.
The Jezebel Target lies within the Yillaree Joint Venture in which Breakaway’s partner, Hampton Hill Mining (ASX: HHM) holds an 18.73% interest).
Despite both holes intersecting broad widths of stringer, vein and disseminated sulphides within and adjacent to favourable ultramafic lithologies, no significant results were returned.
Breakaway Resources now intends to strategically review its Leinster District nickel projects to determine the most efficient and successful way of advancing them. With the company also progressing its copper gold projects in Queensland, the Leinster nickel project may be considered for divestment.
Breakaway Resources' Leinster nickel project could be southern extension to Xstrata's Cosmos deposit
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