Legend Mining has reignited its search for nickel and copper at the Octagonal prospect within Western Australia’s rugged Fraser Range, launching a new high-power, fixed-line electromagnetic (EM) survey following a four-month bad weather delay.
The company has today confirmed the program at its Rockford project is now back on track and will explore a strong conductive zone on the eastern flank of the prospect that is believed to be an extension of the Octagonal intrusion that was initially thrown up in a maiden survey last year.
The survey at Octagonal is expected to be completed within 20 days and the equipment will then be transferred to the company’s Magnus prospect, 25km to the north, in a hunt for the same two minerals.
Legend Mining executive chairman Mark Wilson said: “Our 2024 field season kicks off with the mobilisation of the High Power EM crew to Octagonal. Early March's record rainfall, followed by additional downpours, had rendered the project area inaccessible. However, with the reopening of the Trans Australian Railway access road on July 16th, we can finally begin the survey.”
Previous drilling of two holes at the Octagonal prospect struck nickel-copper sulphide within fertile ultramafic sills positioned near the tantalising electromagnetic conductors. It has hinted at the presence of a mineralised intrusion extending beyond the main body, evoking comparisons to the famed Nova-Bollinger deposit that sits some 150km south-east of Rockford.
Owned by IGO, the Nova-Bollinger deposit boasts an impressive 11 million tonnes at 1.52 per cent nickel, 0.615 per cent copper, and 0.05 per cent cobalt.
In a bid to capitalise on its findings – and once results from the current program have been collected – Legend will model the survey data and incorporate it into reprocessed seismic results. It is expected to allow the company to generate precise diamond drillhole targets.
The plans will then be submitted for heritage clearance, paving the way for a comprehensive series of diamond drilling activities aimed at further delineating and validating the prospect’s mineral potential and bringing the company closer to unlocking what could be significant value from its Rockford project.
Legend’s Mawson prospect, 40km further to the east of Octagonal, has a mineral resource estimate of 1.45 million tonnes at 1.14 per cent nickel, 0.74 per cent copper and 0.07 per cent cobalt for 16,500 tonnes of contained nickel, 10,600 tonnes of copper and 1100 tonnes of cobalt.
Rockford is subject to a complex ownership structure in which Legend shares some 1711 square kilometres in a joint venture (JV) with the Creasy Group. Additionally, the pair is partnered with IGO in a separate 634sq km JV and lastly, an 18sq km JV is exclusively owned by IGO and Legend.
Given the buzz generated by Legend’s maiden EM survey in December and knowing the potential for huge discoveries in renowned “elephant country”, the weather delay in the past quarter has been frustrating. But with the green light for the renewed survey now firmly switched on, the company is back up and galloping at the Octagonal prospect named after one of Australia’s greatest-ever thoroughbred racehorses.
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By James Pearson
