Auroch Minerals plans to move ahead with aggressive exploration activities in 2021

Auroch Minerals Limited (ASX:AOU) plans to move ahead with aggressive exploration activities in 2021 building over the number of initiatives taken by the company in the December quarter that includes drilling activities and acquisition of three high-grade nickel sulphide projects in Western Australia. During the quarter, the company’s primary focus was on the exploration drilling activities at its Saints Nickel Project and Leinster Nickel Project and the acquisition of the Nepean Nickel Project, three high-grade nickel sulphide projects in Western Australia. Going forward, the company will be mainly focusing on completing reverse circulation (RC), down-hole electromagnetic and surface moving-loop MLEM surveys at Nepean Nickel Project. Activities planned for March quarter The company plans to complete 3,500 metres of RC drilling program, which is already underway at Nepean to test near near-mine extensions to the high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation, as well as previously untested high-priority targets along the 10 kilometres of underexplored strike. Down-hole (DHEM) and surface MLEM surveys at Nepean, as well as air-core and other geochemical surface sampling programs, will be carried out to define and refine drill targets for the next round of RC drilling to start late in March. Auroch also plans to complete a 3,000-metre RC drill program at Leinster to test exciting high-potential targets along strike from the Horn, as well as other greenfield prospects such as Firefly and North Sinclair. The company also plans to complete a 1,500-metre RC drill program at Saints to test for ‘feeder channel’ massive nickel sulphide mineralisation at the T4, T5 and T6 prospects. Activities during the December quarter During the December quarter, Auroch entered into a binding agreement to acquire 80% of the shares in Eastern Coolgardie Goldfields Pty Ltd (ECG), the company which will hold the Nepean Nickel Project, comprising of a package of 13 tenements. Following the completion of the acquisition on December 17, 2020, Auroch and Goldfellas will operate the Nepean Nickel Project as a joint venture with Auroch holding an 80% participating interest and Goldfellas the remaining 20%.  The Nepean Nickel Project contains the historical high-grade Nepean nickel sulphide mine, which was the second producing nickel mine in Australia, producing 1,108,457 tonnes of ore between 1970 and 1987 for 32,202 tonnes of nickel metal at an average recovered grade of 2.99% nickel. The company is undertaking an initial eight drill holes of the 3,500 metres program and will also test shallow near-mine mineralisation about 200 metres south of the historical mining operation. These holes will look to define the extents of the mineralisation identified by historical high-grade intercepts which include: 3 metres at 11.78% nickel from 37 metres; 3 metres at 9.93% from 49 metres; 4 metres at 6.63% from 46 metres; and 6 metres at 2.82% from 53 metres. Saints Nickel Project During the quarter Auroch completed an air-core drill program at its Saint Nickel project. The program was focussed on the T4, T5 and T6 prospect areas, which are some of the channels identified by the company at Saints that have the potential to host significant “feeder channel” massive nickel sulphide mineralisation. The program was completed to better define the geometry of the identified channels, as well as to assess the characteristics of the basal ultramafic unit. Results are still outstanding, and when received will be used to update the geological model at Saints and provide potential drill targets for follow-up RC drilling scheduled for later in the March quarter. Leinster Nickel Project During the quarter Auroch received assay results of massive nickel sulphide zones from the maiden diamond drill program at the Horn prospect of its Leinster Nickel Project. Assays for diamond drill-hole HNDD002 have confirmed the massive sulphide mineralisation, with a best-logged interval of 7.3 metres at 2.20% nickel, 0.53% copper and 0.64 g/t palladium from a down-hole depth of 143 metres. Another strong intercept was returned from hole HNDD003 - 1.5 metres at 1.48% nickel, 0.39% copper and 0.29 g/t palladium from a down-hole depth of 134.9 metres, which included a 0.8-metre zone of massive sulphides which reported 2.41% nickel, 0.47% copper and 0.46 g/t palladium from 134.9 metres. Drill hole HNDD003 was drilled to test a historic DHEM conductor outside of the known mineralisation and it highlighted the effectiveness of the down-hole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys in this system. DHEM surveys have been completed for all holes at the Horn and the geophysical data is currently being processed and modelled. The results of the DHEM and the detailed geological logging will be used to plan the next stages of exploration at the Horn and surrounding prospects. Arden Project During the quarter, the company started a surface sampling program along with the prospective copper trends of its Arden Project (Arden) in South Australia. The program comprised of both surface rock chip sampling and soil sampling across a regional trend identified by aeromagnetics.