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- Ardea Resources’ (ARL) drilling confirms high-grade, near-surface nickel-cobalt mineralisation at its Goongarrie Hill deposit in WA
- The drilling program was completed to support metallurgical testwork programs ahead of a definitive feasibility study for the broader Kalgoorlie nickel project (KNP)
- Ardea says drilling upgraded the KNP mineralisation which had contrasting styles across different feeds which is reportedly an “ideal outcome” to maximise project flexibility
- Bench-scale programs are progressing at the lab and results will be used for resource optimisation, mine design and scheduling studies ahead of the DFS
- ARL shares are up 3.14 per cent to trade at $1.15 each on market close
Ardea Resources (ARL) has confirmed high-grade, near-surface nickel-cobalt mineralisation through drilling at the Goongarrie Hill nickel-cobalt deposit in Western Australia.
The Goongarrie Hill Deposit forms part of the Goongarrie Hub within the broader Kalgoorlie nickel project (KNP).
The eight-hole metallurgical drilling program was completed in October last year and was designed to following the resource estimation feasibility study programs completed earlier in the year.
Drilling aimed to generate run-of-mine (ROM) atmospheric leach (AL) mineralisation for metallurgical programs currently in train at the ALS Balcatta metallurgical labs.
The metallurgical work is an initial program for the KNP definitive feasibility study (DFS).
Positively for the company, the drilling proved useful in upgrading the KNP mineralisation and geo-metallurgical models as well as confirmed a consistent sheet geometry for the ROM mineralisation which is suited to open pit bulk excavation.
The drilling helped to show a contrast of mineralisation styles from the three key processing feeds (AL, high pressure acid leach and mineralised neutraliser), which Ardea said is an “ideal outcome” to maximise project flexibility through the scheduling of plant feeds.
“With the unique Goongarrie geological model yet again confirmed, we continue to await the results of the ALS bench-scale metallurgy from Highway, as a control for the waiting Goongarrie South and Goongarrie Hill programs,” Managing Director Andrew Penkethman said.
“These results will feed into ongoing DFS work flows and continue to enhance the KNP Goongarrie Hub as a globally significant source of sustainable and ethical ESG-compliant nickel-cobalt for the lithium ion battery sector.”
The ALS bench-scale programs will test the geo-metallurgical interpretations from the eight holes drilled at Goongarrie Hill once the higher priority ALS Goongarrie South program is completed.
Once testwork results have been received, the data will be used for resource optimisation, mine design and scheduling studies that will form the basis of defining an ore reserve for the DFS.
ARL shares were up 3.14 per cent to trade at $1.15 each on market close.
