Western Mines Group (ASX:WMG) has reported ‘very positive’ aqua regia testwork results from hole MTD026 at its Mulga Tank Project in Western Australia. 

The $28.76 million market capitalisation company says the results indicate that nickel (Ni) is ‘very likely’ predominantly associated with sulphide mineralisation in the area. 

Hole MTD026 returned a four acid result of 130m @ 0.305% Ni, 136 parts per million (ppm) cobalt (Co), 122ppm copper (Cu) from 116m. Meanwhile, the aqua regia result includes 130m @ 0.3% Ni, 132ppm Co, 121ppm Cu from 116m. 

Both results suggest a ‘high’ percentage of nickel in sulphide form versus silicate nickel, with the 130m intersection showing better than 98% similarity in results. 

Western Mines says assuming this mineralisation is laterally continuous, these results demonstrate the potential for the complex to host ‘significant’ volumes of nickel sulphide form within a ‘large’ near-surface, open-pit scenario for the project. 

Commenting on the aqua regia results, Western Mines Group Managing Director Caedmon Marriott says: “This basic comparison testwork has now been completed on 5 holes showing significant intersections of disseminated sulphide mineralisation and attempts to further prove the disseminated nickel mineralisation at Mulga Tank is hosted in potentially recoverable sulphide form — these very positive results clearly demonstrate it likely is. 

“the drilling results to date show the potential for the Mulga Tank Complex to host large volumes of nickel in sulphide form“

We’re conscious of exploring by economics and deliberately selected shallow intervals found in the top few hundred vertical metres that could be amenable to a large-scale open-pit scenario. Shallow intersections from 4 holes, MTD012, MTD022, MTD023, and MTD026, appear laterally continuous over some 2.3km, though a lot of further drilling is required to confirm this. 

Even considering just these uppermost intersections, the drilling results to date show the potential for the Mulga Tank Complex to host large volumes of nickel in sulphide form. Further infilling drilling is planned to test the continuity, with a potentially very significant shallow nickel sulphide resource there for us to go after.”

Western Mines notes that infill drilling will be required to confirm the lateral extent of the mineralisation uncovered. The feasibility of this will be tested over the next few months. 

Mulga Tank is Western Mine’s flagship project and is located 190km east-northeast of Kalgoorlie in the Duketon Domain of the Burtville Terrane in the Eastern Goldfields province of Western Australia. 

Western Mines is a mineral exploration company focused on uncovering ‘high-value’ gold and nickel sulphide deposits across its ‘highly prospective’ portfolio of assets in Western Australia. 

As of 30 June 2023, the company had $3.272 million cash and cash equivalents at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.

Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au        

Images: Western Mines Group