WESTERN Areas will start drilling early next week in a vast nickel sulphide province to which it acquired access just last month.
The company will set up two rigs to drill seven holes in the next six weeks in the Forrestania nickel project, where it has acquired an option to earn a 75 per cent joint venture interest with Outokumpu Mining and Sons of Gwalia.
Aiming to be Australia’s next nickel producer, with production planned for early next year, Western Areas has also secured an option to acquire the Tectonic Resources nickel processing plant near Ravensthorpe.
Western Areas managing director Julian Hanna said the company hoped to confirm resources by September and would complete feasibility to a bankable stage by the end of the year.
Western Areas needs to keep busy. Focusing its ‘company-maker’ hopes on this project, the active explorer with multiple interests throughout WA has some substantial staged payments to meet and is in talks with a major broking house.
The company is not phased by the extent of its commitments, however, in light of numerous high quality targets its experienced team, including Terrence Grammer and Terry Streeter, has identified from an extensive regional database developed over a 13-year period.
