Maximus Resources Ltd (ASX:MXR) has set the drill bit spinning at its newly discovered Misho prospect, a nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) hotbed just 25 kilometres from BHP’s nickel concentrator in WA’s Kambalda district.
The nine-hole reverse circulation (RC) program, covering roughly 1,200 metres, is designed to test the strike and plunge of shallow nickel-copper-PGE hits uncovered during recent aircore work.
Thanks to highly anomalous nickel, copper, platinum and palladium readings in the prospect’s weathered zone, Maximus believes there’s scope for a fertile nickel sulphide-bearing komatiite channel at Misho.
Results from this fast-tracked program are expected within three to five weeks. MXR will prioritise samples for assay based on observations in the field.
RC drilling plan for Maximus’ Misho nickel prospect.
Drilling Misho
The Misho nickel prospect is a distinct magnetic feature around 1 kilometre north of Estrella Resources Ltd’s legacy 1A Nickel Mine.
Aircore drilling by MXR in early March provided a roadmap for the RC program, pinpointing a highly prospective komatiite basal contact for follow-up work.
This 4,250-metre program sought gold and nickel occurrences across several priority targets, with the majority of assays expected in the next two to four weeks.
Aircore and legacy drilling at Misho.
One aircore hole at Misho intersected highly anomalous mineralisation, within a 20-metre range, grading 0.53% nickel, 492 parts per million (ppm) copper and 126 parts per billion (ppb) PGE from 10 metres.
That high-grade intersection also included:
- 4 metres at 0.92% nickel, 1,336 ppm copper and 238 ppb PGE from 10 metres; and;
- 2 metres at 1.21% nickel, 1705 ppm copper, 987 ppm cobalt and 293 ppb PGE from 11 metres.
Big picture
Misho is part of Maximus’ Spargoville tenements — a block of precious and base metal prospects in Australia’s mining engine room.
Spargoville hosts one of Australia’s highest-grade historical gold mines: The Wattle Dam gold camp. Mined until 2012, this production hub generated 286,000 ounces of gold at 10.1 g/t in its heyday.
Nowadays, Maximus is focused on finding the next Wattle Dam, exploring within 50 kilometres of six gold processing plants and BHP’s nickel concentrator.
The company has access to 48 square kilometres of granted mining licences and enjoys gold rights along another 60 square kilometres in the Spargoville Shear Zone — home to several material gold and nickel deposits.