Blackstone Minerals delivers further massive sulphide vein nickel results at Ta Khoa Project in Vietnam

Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX) (OTCMKTS:BLSTF) (FRA:B9S) has delivered further massive sulphide vein (MSV) nickel results from drilling at Ta Khoa Nickel-Copper-PGE Project in Vietnam. 

Following several visual occurrences of high-grade MSVs as well as initial confirmation of high-grade nickel, copper and platinum group elements (PGEs), further assays from King Snake have been received.

Infill drilling has also been ongoing at the Ban Chang MSV prospect to support resource estimations and mining studies that will be incorporated into the upstream business unit pre-feasibility study (PFS).

Testing additional MSV targets

Managing director Scott Williamson said: “Ban Chang, King Snake and Ta Cuong are targeted for inclusion in the Upstream Business Unit PFS, which will incorporate restarting the existing 450,000 tonnes per annum concentrator on higher grade MSV feed.

“This will enable significant capital expenditure to be deferred for the 4-6 million tonnes per annum concentrator designed to treat our larger bulk disseminated orebodies such as Ban Phuc.

“We will continue to test additional MSV targets throughout the Ta Khoa district to build an inventory of high-grade feedstock for our downstream refinery business.”

High-grade results and discussion

Strong results targeting resource extensions at King Snake confirm its potential to add to the company’s MSV mining inventory.

Significant results include:

• 5.55 metres at 1.35% nickel, 0.45% copper, 0.05% cobalt and 1.28 g/t PGE from 204 metres, including 1.19 metres at 3.56% nickel, 0.98% copper, 0.13% cobalt and 3.1 g/t PGE from 205.38 metres;
• 10.45 metres at 0.32% nickel, 0.22% copper, 0.02% cobalt and 0.33 g/t PGE from 194 metres, including 0.63 metres at 3.77% nickel, 2.11% copper, 0.15% cobalt and 2.33 g/t PGE from 202.8 metres; and
• 3.13 metres at 1.23% nickel, 0.75% copper, 0.04% cobalt and 2.03 g/t PGE from 184.87 metres, including 1.12 metres at 2.19% nickel, 0.93% copper, 0.07% cobalt and 2.72 g/t PGE from 185.18 metres.

Results from Blackstone’s maiden program at King Snake together with historic drill results have defined a strike length of over 800 metres at King Snake which includes MSV, semi-massive sulphide vein (SMSV) and disseminated sulphides.

The company’s drilling at King Snake is focusing on new electromagnetic (EM) targets which extend down plunge to the west of historic drilling.

Assay results for the Ban Chang MSV prospect have been received and best intercepts include:

• 18.28 metres at 0.44% nickel, 0.41% copper, 0.03% cobalt and 0.31 g/t PGE from 64.72 metres, including 5.65 metres at 1.07% nickel, 0.53% copper, 0.06% cobalt and 0.51 g/t PGE from 68.75 metres; and
• 5.01 metres at 1.67% nickel, 1.01% copper, 0.09% cobalt and 0.95 g/t PGE from 50.62 metres.

Ta Cuong is a nickel-PGE-copper-cobalt MSV prospect, around six kilometres along strike from the recently operating Ban Phuc MSV nickel mine and existing processing centre zone.

The discovery hole TC21-03 returned strong assays for nickel, copper, cobalt and PGEs across 35.25 metres of continuous mineralisation including:

• 35.25 metres at 0.9% nickel, 0.6% copper, 0.05% cobalt and 0.5 g/t PGE from 18.35 metres, including 20.40 metres at 1.35% nickel, 0.8% copper, 0.07% cobalt and 0.72 g/t PGE from 27 metres.

Story by ProactiveInvestors