Final assays from Phase 1 expansion drilling at Solstice Minerals’ (ASX: SLS) Nanadie copper-gold project in Western Australia has delivered strong growth in tonnage and grade.
The reverse circulation campaign comprised 23 holes for a total of 6,030 metres, and showed that the northern extensions of the deposit remain open, returning wide intercepts grading more than 0.4% copper beyond the limits of the current resource estimate.
Best among these were 44m at 0.52% copper and 0.23 grams per tonne gold from 146m including 14m at 1.02% copper and 0.58g/t gold from 163m within a thick mineralised zone of 187m at 0.31% copper and 0.11g/t gold from 5m.
Other highlights were 33m at 0.52% copper and 0.12g/t gold from 10m, 29m at 0.93% copper and 0.3g/t gold from 50m, and 25m at 0.4% copper and 0.07g/t gold from 102m.
Resource-Grade Mineralisation
An infill hole at the southern end of Nanadie confirmed widespread resource-grade mineralisation, with best results of 33m at 0.41% copper and 0.11g/t gold from 87m, and 27m at 0.42% copper and 0.15g/t gold from 179m.
The intercepts are seen as coincident with an induced polarisation (IP) chargeability response identified in a dipole-dipole survey completed the company completed last year.
This is open at depth and to the north, indicating further significant exploration upside.
Solstice is planning a Phase 2 RC program covering approximately 8,000m that will focus on testing a number of open intercepts, as well as expanding step-out and down-dip extensional targets and testing IP features beyond the current drilling.
Compelling Growth Opportunity
Chief executive officer Nick Castleden said the Phase 1 campaign had exceeded expectations and provided the company with a compelling opportunity to grow the Nanadie footprint.
“This campaign was designed to improve geological understanding and find the ‘edges’ of the large mineralised system—so we were expecting a few quiet holes here and there,” he said.
“Pleasingly, nearly every hole returned significant intercepts at or above resource estimate grade, and opened up a plethora of avenues for resource growth into wide open strike, lateral, and down-dip positions.”
“Nanadie is rapidly shaping up as an important WA copper-gold growth story, and a project that demands sustained drilling—preparations are underway to mobilise an RC rig before the end of the month, followed by a diamond rig shortly thereafter.”
Situated approximately 100km northwest of Sandstone in central WA, Nanadie is supported by an existing Inferred mineral resource estimate of 40.4 million tonnes at 0.4% copper and 0.1g/t gold, containing 162,000t of copper and 130,000oz of gold.
