Chalice Mining Limited has provided an update on its exploration activities at its wholly-owned Julimar Nickel-Copper-Platinum Element (PGE) Project.
According to the company, exploration activities are ongoing across the 30 km strike length of the Julimar Complex, with two diamond drill rigs currently drilling at the Hooley Prospect and two rigs continuing extensional drilling at the Gonneville Deposit.
Drilling has intersected sulphide mineralisation in holes targeting the continuation of the Julimar Complex to the north of Gonneville.
Chalice added that several encouraging zones of mineralisation have been intersected over a strike length of 10 km, confirming Julimar as a large-scale mineral system that has the potential for multiple nickel-copper-platinum deposits.
The company’s ongoing reconnaissance exploration drilling program in the Julimar State Forest is using specialist diamond drill rigs with a small footprint and does not involve any mechanised clearing of vegetation or excavation.
Flora, fauna and cultural heritage surveys and monitoring are also being undertaken at the site to adhere to industry best practices.
Planning for additional exploration drilling within the Hartog-Hooley-Dampier strike length, and initial exploration drilling on existing access tracks at the Baudin-Jansz-Torres targets at the northern end of the complex, is underway.
The PGE-dominant mineralisation at Hooley shows a similar sulphide style and geological setting to that of the Gonneville deposit, which consists of broad zones of disseminated pyrrhotite chalcopyrite pentlandite with localised matrix-style sulphides.
The results, partnered with the exploration results received to date over initial drilling along the Hooley-Dampier trend, show that the package is likely to be a strike continuation of the Gonneville Intrusive and therefore; will be the focus of continued follow-up explorations.
In November 2021, the company released the maiden mineral resource estimate for the Gonneville site, which confirmed Gonneville as one of the largest nickel-copper-PGE sulphide discoveries worldwide, and the largest PGE discovery in Australian history.
