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Legend’s RK000D8 intersection at Mawson was hailed as the best nickel hit since Nova in
doration has come for Legend Min-
Aing Ltd since announcing results re- 2012 in the Fraser Range
sembling the best in the Fraser Range
since Nova, however, managing director the company closed trading session at through. In previous years it would have
Mark Wilson was quick to praise the per- 17.5c/share, more than double where it been just Derek Waterfield [executive di-
formance of the Association of Mining and started the year. The performance is in- rector, technical], one other and our field-
Exploration Companies (AMEC) amid the dication that despite the times, Legend’s ie,” Wilson said.
chaos of COVID-19. story was being well received and sus- Legend’s beefed up crew is supporting
Wilson was also parochial about the tained since it announced the three mas- an aircore rig, which was infilling the greater
way the West Australian resources indus- sive nickel-copper sulphide intercepts in Mawson area, and a diamond rig focused
try had accepted and adapted to changed RKDD008 (199.4-205.0m (5.6m); 218.2- on the main prospect at Mawson at the time
working conditions enforced to help flatten 225.1m [6.9m]; 234.9-247.7m [12.8m] at of print.
the trajectory of coronavirus. the end of March. The Federal and State Governments’
“I think it has been handled magnifi- Diamond hole RKDD008 was recog- designation of mining as an essential in-
cently. To my knowledge, the fact there nised as the best nickel intersection on dustry has proved “serendipitous” for Leg-
has only been one COVID situation at one the Fraser Range since Nova, with five end as it looks to continue the excitement
mine site throughout all WA onshore in- significant intervals of nickel-copper sul- at Mawson, with the next set of assays ex-
dustry is exceptional. I think industry gen- phide mineralisation reported, including pected as the coronavirus spread slows in
erally has to be congratulated for recognis- the three comprising massive sulphides of WA and optimism rises that some lockdown
ing there was an issue, putting practices in pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pentlandite. measures will be loosened in the State.
place to deal with it and making sure they “I think when the assays [see Drill Bits Regardless, a nickel sulphide discovery
adhered to those practices,” Wilson said. sponsored by Bostech on pages 54-55] always gets attention and Wilson is confi-
“I must admit that AMEC as an organisa- come out people will recognise that there dent of not disappointing the market.
tion supporting us has been a wonderful is 25m of massive sulphides within a 41m “The market reaction has been very
assistance to me in particular and really overall sulphidic intercept. The grades that healthy even within these uncertain times
helped me manage some little situations come out will take any of the mystique out that we are all living in. I think the market
that I have found myself in.” of the intercept entirely. Nova when dis- has this uncanny ability to look through the
Legend has been building momentum covered was 4m @ 3.8% nickel and 1.4% present and predict the future,” he said.
at Mawson, part of the Rockford project, copper. I think when our results come out “The constant flow of press that China is
since the backend of 2019; some seven people are going to make the direct com- back at work – China consumes 50% of all
years after Sirius hit the headlines with the parison of 4m versus the 40m and the these base metals that are produced – so
Nova nickel sulphide discovery. Nova grade versus our grade,” Wilson I think there is a perception that the market
It has taken many companies and mil- said. for these things is going to be very healthy
lions of exploration dollars for anyone to “I think we have the width covered, now in the future. In our case and the likes of
get a sniff of something in the class of it’s about the grade and our real challenge Chalice [Gold Mines Ltd], our assets are
Nova and now that Legend appears on- is to find the source of that mineralisation. still in the ground and we haven’t expend-
course for a potential replica, even COV- I’ve been constantly saying since the dis- ed the mass of capital in developing mines
ID-19 cannot derail further progress. covery hole last year that this has all the and building plants.
Better still for Wilson, has been the abil- hallmarks of a large system.” “We are in this lovely situation where we
ity able to tell the Mawson story to people To help define exactly what Mawson are just developing an asset without mas-
across the globe, all from his desk in Perth. may mature into is a growing throng of sive capital expenditure. The way I see it
“It shows what can be done; you can sit geologists and field assistants, a situation is that the market is quite happy to come
in your office [and communicate] pretty Legend is not accustomed to. on the journey with us and once we have
seamlessly via technology but take noth- “We have just put on our second geolo- the big bucks spent you start getting a dif-
ing away from the fact that nothing re- gist for the year after adding another one ferent character perspective and yardstick
places face-to-face interaction in terms of last year. We also have an extra field as- pointed against you with your performance
getting your story out there,” Wilson said. sistant we wouldn’t usually have, so our and risk profile,” he said.
As Wilson spoke to Paydirt in mid-April, team of five geologists are now rostering – Mark Andrews

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