- Auroch Minerals (AOU) will kickstart a 30-hole drilling program at its Nepean Nickel Project in Western Australia next week
- Reverse circulation drilling will test potential extensions to high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation as well as high-priority targets along an underexplored strike
- The project has historically yielded grades of up to 6.63 and 9.93 per cent nickel
- Once drilling has been completed, the miner will conduct downhole electromagnetic surveys to help with modelling and defining any further mineralisation
- Auroch is up 10.3 per cent following this news with shares trading at 16 cents
Auroch Minerals (AOU) will begin 3500 metres of drilling next week at its high-grade Nepean Nickel Project south of Coolgardie in Western Australia.
Reverse circulation (RC) drilling will test potential near-mine extensions to high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation. Drilling will also focus on untested targets along a 10-kilometre-long underexplored strike.
Along strike to the south, historical RC results include three metres at 11.78 per cent nickel from 37 metres, three metres at 9.93 per cent nickel from 49 metres, four metres at 6.63 per cent nickel from 46 metres and six metres at 2.82 per cent nickel from 53 metres.
“We are very excited to be kicking off our 2021 exploration programs with an RC drilling program at the recently acquired high-grade Nepean Nickel Project,” Managing Director Aidan Platel said.
“With the nickel price already well over US$17,000/t (around A$21,900) and forecast to continue to rise significantly over the next few years, 2021 will be a transformational year for Auroch as we consolidate our existing high-grade nickel sulphide resources and move towards scoping studies, whilst at the same time continue to aggressively explore for new discoveries,” he added.
The 30-hole program is expected to take several weeks. Following this, the company will conduct downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys to help with modelling and defining any further mineralisation.
Auroch is up 10.3 per cent following this news with shares trading at 16 cents at 10:58 am AEDT.