Rimfire Pacific Mining (ASX: RIM, 'Rimfire' or 'the Company') is pleased to advise that recent aircore drilling has extended the area of nickel cobalt scandium mineralisation and confirmed the geological setting of the Melrose prospect.
Separately head assaying of a 260kg composite bulk sample has confirmed the high-grade nature of the Melrose mineralisation.
Commenting on the announcement, Rimfire's Managing Director Mr
Melrose lies within the
Drilling program details
Rimfire recently completed a 20-hole aircore drilling program (FI2408 to FI2442 - 904 metres) at Melrose. Vertical holes were drilled along fence lines and access tracks north and south of a prominent magnetic anomaly that lies centrally within the prospect area to determine the extent of nickel cobalt scandium mineralisation at Melrose and confirm the prospect's geological setting. Geologically Melrose is underlain by an east-dipping sequence of ultramafic and mafic intrusive rocks (microdiorite, gabbro, pyroxenite, wehrlite, dunite) that are bounded to the east against a granite and volcaniclastic sediments to the west. The ultramafic rocks are heavily altered with serpentinite and magnetite commonly present throughout. The presence of abundant magnetite explains the Melrose magnetic anomaly. The basement rocks are strongly weathered with an overlying flat - lying manganese and iron rich (laterite) horizon present, assaying of which has shown to be strongly anomalous in nickel - cobalt - scandium (
Drilling program details Rimfire recently completed a 20-hole aircore drilling program (FI2408 to FI2442 - 904 metres) at Melrose. Vertical holes were drilled along fence lines and access tracks north and south of a prominent magnetic anomaly that lies centrally within the prospect area to determine the extent of nickel cobalt scandium mineralisation at Melrose and confirm the prospect's geological setting. Geologically Melrose is underlain by an east-dipping sequence of ultramafic and mafic intrusive rocks (microdiorite, gabbro, pyroxenite, wehrlite, dunite) that are bounded to the east against a granite and volcaniclastic sediments to the west. The ultramafic rocks are heavily altered with serpentinite and magnetite commonly present throughout. The presence of abundant magnetite explains the Melrose magnetic anomaly. The basement rocks are strongly weathered with an overlying flat - lying manganese and iron rich (laterite) horizon present, assaying of which has shown to be strongly anomalous in nickel - cobalt - scandium (
The nickel cobalt scandium mineralised laterite zone trends in a north northeast - south southwest direction over ~ 900 metres strike length with width ranging from a maximum of ~ 400 metres in the core of the magnetic complex to a width of ~ 50 metres in the northeast.
The nickel and cobalt mineralisation remain open to the southwest into areas of no drilling.
The scandium mineralisation remains open to the west.
Mineralisation thickness ranges from ~ 16 metres in the core of the magnetic complex to < 3 metres to the northeast.
The thickest laterite zones and higher-grade nickel cobalt and scandium mineralisation overlies the ultramafic rock types, with the highest scandium grades spatially associated with the pyroxenite in particular. The thinner laterite zones and lower grade mineralisation in the northeast overlies microdiorite rimming the pyroxenite.
Metallurgical Test work As previously announced,
At the time of writing, IMO were conducting scrubbing tests ahead of commencing atmospheric leaching on scrubbed materials. IMO are also planning to conduct magnetic separation trials to determine the potential to separate the dominant gangue mineral maghemite as well as other potential paramagnetic iron bearing species.
At the time of writing, IMO were conducting scrubbing tests ahead of commencing atmospheric leaching on scrubbed materials. IMO are also planning to conduct magnetic separation trials to determine the potential to separate the dominant gangue mineral maghemite as well as other potential paramagnetic iron bearing species.
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