SPC Nickel Corp. [SPC-TSXV] reported new assay results from phase 1 of the West Graham project resource definition drilling campaign, including a new high-grade intersection encountered in WG-23-042 representing one of the best intersections so far reported from the consolidated West Graham project located in the world-class nickel-copper mining district of Sudbury, Ontario.
Highlights: Highly successful phase 1 drill program with a total of 5,338 metres in 27 holes completed. The Phase 1 program has achieved its goal of confirming the presence of mineralization in the western portion of the West Graham project property while outlining areas of higher-than-expected grade within the contact-style deposit, as well as discovering new high-grade footwall-style mineralization outside the historical resource envelope.
Hole WG-23-042 intersected a new zone of high-grade mineralization grading 1.71% Ni (nickel) and 0.46% Cu (copper) over 20 metres from 286 metres to 306 metres. This interval is part of a wider interval that returned 1.06% Ni and 0.46% Cu over 50 metres from 256 metres to 306 metres.
Footwall-style massive sulphide veins grading 7.07% Ni and 0.09% Cu over 0.3 metres were encountered in the footwall granites of hole WG-23-042.
Hole WG-23-028 intersected a very thick zone of nickel and copper mineralization over 196.85 metres, grading 0.32% Ni and 0.19% Cu from 79 metres to 275.85 metres, including a higher-grade section that returned 0.72% Ni and 0.18% Cu over 21 metres from 89 metres to 110 metres.
Borehole geophysics completed in holes WG-23-027, 028, 037 and 042 identified a large conductive region, measuring 200 metres by 150 metres to the west of the intersection in 042 and 028.
The remaining samples are being processed and will be reported when available.
Grant Mourre, CEO and president of SPC Nickel, commented: “The results to date from our phase 1 drill program have been a resounding success. The intersection of wide zones of nickel-copper mineralization at grades equal to or better than the grade of the historic West Graham resource further confirms our initial investment thesis that the mineralized zone does extend across the property boundary onto the Crean Hill 3 property. Additionally, the high-grade mineralization intersected in holes 36 and 42 further highlight the up-side potential of the combined project.
“We are excited to start our phase 2 drill program where we will be completing wide-spaced drilling to further define and confirm the extents of the mineralized zone, while remaining focused on working towards delivering a combined mineral resource estimate at the West Graham project by the end of 2023,” added Mourre.
In order to better define the continuity and distribution of the high-grade mineralization encountered in holes WG-23-042 and WG-23-026, borehole geophysical surveys were completed in four selected holes (WG-23-027, 028, 037 and 042). The surveys detected a conductive region coincident to the intersected mineralization and extending away from the holes to the west. The anomaly is defined as a series of strong, overlapping conductors with collective dimensions of at least 200 metres by 150 metres.
On January 23, 2023, SPC Nickel signed an agreement with Vale Canada granting SPC Nickel the right to earn a 100% interest in Vale’s Crean Hill 3 property that is located adjacent to SPC Nickel’s West Graham property.
As an advanced project, the combination of the West Graham and Crean Hill 3 assets is a transformational opportunity for SPC Nickel. The historical mineral resources on these properties form one contiguous near-surface deposit and consists of the following:
Crean Hill 3 hosts a historic mineral estimate of 16.78 million tonnes (Mt) at 0.43% Ni and 0.30% Cu. West Graham hosts a historic indicated mineral resource of 8.55 Mt at 0.45% Ni and 0.31% Cu, along with an inferred mineral resource of two Mt at 0.38% Ni and 0.30% Cu.
SPC Nickel is also exploring its key 100%-owned exploration project, Lockerby East, located in the heart of the Sudbury mining camp.
