Page 99 - pd276-Oct19-mag-web_Neat

nickel and 1,800t copper at the Horn de-
posit, which Auroch is seeking to upgrade
at the earliest available opportunity.
Auroch is particularly keen to drill the
Valdez regional target, north-east of Horn.
Historical drilling is shallow, but the com-
pany is encouraged by one hole over the
top of the southern edge of the anomaly
which intersected up to 0.5% nickel.
Since unveiling Auroch’s nickel strategy,
Platel has made it abundantly clear the
company is only interested in chasing Tier-
1 nickel sulphide opportunities.
“We are targeting nickel sulphide, we’re Drilling is under way at Auroch’s Saints nickel project, 65km north-west of Kalgoorlie
not interested in laterite, we’re after that
Tier 1 nickel,” Platel said. quarie and Wood Mackenzie. in the same vein Mirabela and Sirius Re-
“You’ve basically got two addresses “If you’re just looking ahead 3-5 years, sources did in years past.
in WA – and maybe even in Australia – the short-to-mid-term forecasts [for nickel] With its focus now mostly on nickel, Au-
where you want to be for nickel sulphides. are very good, but certainly longer than roch has pulled back on its South Austral-
You’re either in Kambalda where the IGOs that just the general markets with the EVs ian exploration strategy, although Platel
and Mincors and the bigger players are, or I think is going to be the big factor, espe- believes the company still retains a com-
you’re in the Norseman-Wiluna belt which cially for that Tier 1 nickel,” he said. pelling zinc target at Arden which requires
is pretty well endowed and very, very un- “There’s already a deficit in the market further investigation.
derexplored, in our opinion. Then you’ve and all forecasts are just for that to widen. “It’s a big anomaly and it’s also a very in-
got Nickel West at Leinster, you’ve got the It won’t surprise me if ferronickel and Tier- tense anomaly, so I think it’s worth sticking
Sinclair plant, you’ve got Poseidon’s plant, 1 nickel are going to separate as commod- a couple of holes there and prove the ex-
so the infrastructure is all there.” ities, a bit like the iron ore has, and that’s ploration concept,” he said. “It’s 2km long
Platel, who followed Santa Rita from dis- certainly why we’re chasing high-grade and open to the north, so it could be quite
covery hole through to mine development, nickel sulphide mineralisation rather than a significant high-grade zinc deposit. I im-
believes the market is craving more pure- anything else.” agine that’s probably the next thing we’ll
play nickel exploration stories, particularly Platel predicted Auroch would enjoy do over there.
on the back on recent price rises and en- an impressive share price run should the
couraging forecasts from the likes of Mac- company make a breakthrough discovery – Michael Washbourne

Primed for the nickel revival

poseidon-nickel.com.au

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT OCTOBeR 2019 Page 99