In alliance with San Francisco-based Earth AI, Legacy Minerals (ASX: LGM) has generated several drill targets at its Fontenoy project northwest of Wagga Wagga.
Earth AI’s diamond drill rig is already at work on the project.
Some 3,600 metres of drilling will target nickel-copper-platinum group elements at Fontenoy.
Nickel-copper sulphides found
The focus will be on the recently identified nickel-copper sulphides at the project.
As Legacy notes, NSW is known to host nickel laterite deposits but nickel sulphide systems are rare and are greatly prized for their potentially higher grades and lower extraction costs.
The drilling will also follow up historical assays including 79m at 0.27% copper from 1.5m down hole and 22m at 0.67 grams per tonne gold and 0.34% copper.
AI use growing
Earth AI is a vertically integrated metals exploration company based in San Francisco and with an Australian office at Young, NSW, 15km from Legacy Minerals’ Fontenoy tenement.
Earth AI has partnered with several Australian mining and exploration companies including Evolution Mining (ASX: EVN), Peel Mining (ASX: PEX), Hammer Metals (ASX: HMX) and Red Metal (ASX: RDM).
Earth AI uses an artificial intelligence deposit-targeting system to generate drill targets across tenements.
Once those targets have been identified, Earth AI follows up with on-ground geophysical and geochemical work before drill testing.
Its alliance with Legacy Minerals allows Earth AI to invest up to $4.5 million over two years.
In return, Earth AI gains a net smelter royalty of up to 3%.
It also has the right under certain terms to assume tenement control after the two years ends for cash and paying Legacy a net smelter royalty.
Earth AI identified the sulphide mineralisation
It was Earth AI’s artificial intelligence tools that led to the discovery of the nickel-iron sulphide mineralisation
Legacy’s managing director, Christopher Byrne, said the diamond drilling is an exciting next step at Fontenoy.
“Earth AI’s new search for nickel-copper sulphides and PGEs is frontier exploration in this part of NSW.”
“This potential for nickel-sulphides has remained untested until now with little previous exploration or drilling in the priority target areas.”
Detailed mapping, petrographic studies and soil and rock chip analysis have been completed by Earth AI in the latest field campaigns.
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