Pioneer and Ramelius Resources Limited have entered into a series of agreements which, collectively, has resulted in a large project, managed by Ramelius, that has areas prospective for nickel and gold. The project is located approximately 60km SW of Kalgoorlie.
Ramelius holds a 100% interest in gold and tantalum rights and may earn up to 80% of nickel rights.
Ramelius may earn up to a 75% interest in the gold and tantalum and 80% of nickel rights.
The Larkinville West Prospect is located in the south-eastern portion of E15/689 partially within and adjacent to, P15/4214. The area was initially defined by an area of co-incident gold and arsenic anomalism within auger sampling which has subsequently followed up by RAB drilling. The RAB drilling returned anomalous gold results over a strike of approximately 700 m including a best result of 32m at 2.0 g/t Au from 12 m (LWRB0051).
A eighteen hole, 1650m RC program was undertaken to evaluate the most prospective 350 m of the RAB anomaly on a drill spacing of 20m x100m the RAB results.
More significant results from the drilling include 20 metres @ 3.1g/t Au from 30 metres within LWRC0003 and 6 metres @ 3.3 g/t Au from 34 metres within LWRC0012.
Further anomalous (≥0.1 g/t Au) intersections have also been returned from the northern and southern most RC drill lines including 16m @ 0.9g/t Au from 28m (LWRC0007) and 26m @ 0.4g/t Au from 39 metres (LWRC0016).
| Hole Number | Northing (GDA) | Easting (GDA) | RL (m) | Dip | Azimuth | Total Depth (m) | From (m) | To (m) | Width (m) | Grade (g/t Au) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LWRC0003 | 6523197 | 354400 | 354 | -60 | 90 | 100 | 30 | 50 | 20 | 3.1 |
| 32 | 36 | 4 | 8.2 | |||||||
| LWRC0004 | 6523200 | 354380 | 354 | -60 | 90 | 106 | 55 | 64 | 9 | 2.4 |
| LWRC0007 | 6523300 | 354340 | 354 | -60 | 90 | 80 | 40 | 44 | 4 | 1.5 |
| 42 | 43 | 1 | 5.8 | |||||||
| LWRC0012 | 6523120 | 354460 | 354 | -60 | 90 | 100 | 34 | 40 | 6 | 3.3 |
| 35 | 36 | 1 | 8.1 | |||||||
| LWRC0013 | 6523120 | 354440 | 354 | -60 | 90 | 100 | 60 | 64 | 4 | 2.3 |
| inc | 61 | 62 | 1 | 6.8 | ||||||
A follow up program of RC drilling, comprising five holes for 838 metres, has been completed at Larkinville West to further evaluate earlier fresh rock intercepts from RC drilling. No significant results have been received.
Preliminary interpretations of the Larkinville West Prospect is that it represents a supergene enrichment of gold along a mineralised structure adjacent to the base of complete oxidation within the weathering profile.
Komatiitic hosted sulphide mineralisation was discovered in the Widgiemooltha and Spargoville regions in early 1966. The majority of the exploration work has focused on the eastern ultramafic belt at Spargoville, and around the Widgiemooltha Dome to the south with considerable success. Limited attention appears to have been paid to the western ultramafic belt. This early work resulted in the discovery of the Spargoville 1A, 5A, 5B and Andrew's Deposits as well as the Mt Edwards, Widgiemooltha, Miitel and Redross Nickel Sulphide Deposits to the south. More recently, exploration work by Ramelius has identified the Hilditch nickel sulphide occurrence confirming the prosectivity of the western ultramafic belt and opening up approximately 12 kilometres of prospective contact within the Wattle Dam Project for exploration.
The Spargoville group is located at the northern end of the Widgiemooltha Greenstone Belt and consists of a belt of linear to slightly arcuate, tightly folded, mafic-ultramafic rocks and chert, on the southeastern flank of the Depot Dome. The ultramafic rocks include spinifex textured komatiites, now altered to tremolite, chlorite and talc. Metasedimentary rocks close to the faulted contact with ultramafic rocks are laminated, micaceous, quartzo-felspathic siltstones with varying amounts of biotite, which defines a moderate foliation generally parallel to bedding. Metamorphosed felsic volcanics occur to the east.
The ultramafic sequence is repeated, due to folding or thrusting.
Pioneer was initially attracted to the area because little exploration for nickel sulphide mineralisation had been completed on the in the district since the late 1970's and more modern ground EM surveys had been completed over the prospective basal contacts within the project area.
Pioneer completed extensive ground EM and soil geochemical surveys over the project area. Follow up RAB drilling followed by RC and diamond drilling was completed on a number of prospects. The most successful result was from diamond drill hole WRC024 drilled north of the excised 1A deposit which returned a 0.45 metre interval of 2.04% Ni and 400ppm Cu in a stringer sulphide zone on the contact of basalt and ultramafic rocks. This interval also returned anomalous arsenic values.
Due to a change in priorities Pioneer decided to farm out the project to Ramelius who have a strong focus on the Spargoville area. Ramelius have completed Air core drilling (387 holes for approximately 15,480 metres) testing a number of geochemical /geophysical targets identified by Pioneer as well as RC drilling. The drilling will test a number of targets with a drill spacing of 200x40m.
Recently, Ramelius announced results for RC drilling at the 1A North Prospect. A maximum significant result of 6 metres at 0.5% Ni from 14 metres (including 1 metre at 1.0% Ni from 15 metres) was returned. A diamond tail will be completed to evaluate a strong off-hole TEM anomaly identified from drill hole 1ANDH0001.