WHITE Cliff Minerals is undertaking a 1000-2000 metre reverse circulation drilling program testing four nickel sulphide targets at its Lake Johnston project in Western Australia. The program is targeting four high priority EM conductors within ultramafic units at the Mt Glasse prospect that have associated nickel-copper-platinum-palladium soil anomalies and are considered highly prospective for nickel sulphide accumulations.

White Cliff has secured a $150,000 grant from the Western Australian government to drill the Lake Johnston nickel sulphide targets. The grant is part of the Royalties for Regions Exploration Incentive Scheme administered by the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) and will fund 50% of the total direct drilling costs up to a maximum of $150,000.

In 2013 geochemical soil sampling at Mt Glasse prospect identified strong nickel, copper and platinum/palladium enrichment, potentially indicative of nickel sulphide mineralization at depth. Follow-up geophysical surveys confirmed several prospective geophysical conductors at depths of 100 to 200 metres consistent with sulphide mineralization. The conductors also occur down dip from coincident nickel and copper anomalies detected in shallow RAB drill holes.

Managing director Todd Hibberd says, “The Mt Glasse conductors represent high quality drill targets in a known nickel producing belt. The conductors occur in the same ultramafic unit as the Maggie Hays and Emily Anne mines 30km to the north and have supporting nickel, copper and platinum/palladium geochemical anomalies above them. The additional $150,000 funding provided by the Government of Western Australia significantly reduces the cost of testing these compelling nickel sulphide targets.”

The project covers about 650sqkm in the Lake Johnson Greenstone Belt. This belt contains Norilsk’s Emily Ann and Maggie Hayes nickel sulphide mines which combined have a total resource of around 140,000 tonnes of contained nickel.

Much of the project area was previously held by LionOre and is highly prospective for both komatiite associated nickel sulphides and amphibolite facies high-grade gold mineralization. The area contains little outcrop, with the bedrock geology concealed by transported cover. Recent geophysical surveys have identified multiple new nickel sulphide targets that require drill testing.

White Cliff also has the Merolia, Laverton and Mount Remarkable projects in Western Australia and Chanach Copper-Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. Merolia’s intrusive complexes are prospective for nickel-copper sulphide accumulations possibly with platinum group elements, and the extrusive ultramafic rocks are prospective for nickel sulphide and nickel-cobalt accumulations. It also contains extensive basalt sequences prospective for gold.

Laverton consists of four gold prospects - Celia, Shepherds Well, Barnicoat and Mt Goose. Mount Remarkable includes the historic mining centres of Mt Remarkable and Yerilla. Major gold mines in the area include Sons of Gwalia, Tarmoola, Carosue Dam, Granny Smith, Wallaby and Sunrise Dam.