Auroch Minerals higher on striking more massive nickel sulphides in second diamond hole at the Horn

Auroch Minerals Ltd (ASX:AOU) has intersected more than seven metres of nickeliferous massive sulphide mineralisation in the second diamond drill-hole at the Horn prospect within Leinster Nickel Project in Western Australia. This follows the thick massive to semi-massive nickel sulphide observed in the first hole of the current diamond drill program at the project. Investors have responded positively with shares up as much as 28% to 23 cents intra-day. Diamond drill-hole HNDD002 intersected 7.2 metres of nickel and copper-bearing massive sulphides from 143 metres. The sulphide assemblage has been logged as pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite, with pentlandite being the principal nickel-bearing sulphide mineral present. “Horn continues to deliver” Auroch managing director Aidan Platel said: “The drilling at Horn continues to deliver with another impressive nickeliferous massive sulphide intercept in our second hole. “Importantly, the intersection has extended the strike of the known nickel sulphide mineralisation, providing a thick intercept where the mineralisation was previously thought to have pinched out. “The thickness and continuity of the massive nickel sulphide mineralisation at such a shallow depth continue to excite, and we look forward to what the remainder of the diamond program and the pending assay results will bring. “We are already looking beyond this current program and planning drilling programs to explore the large strike potential to the north of the Horn prospect.” Diamond drilling program HNDD002 was the second hole of a 1,500-metre diamond drill program underway at the Horn within the company’s 100%-owned Leinster Nickel Project. Diamond drill-hole HNDD002 intersected nickel and copper bearing massive sulphides. The hole intersected the massive nickel sulphide mineralisation 15 metres further north along strike from a historic intercept of 14.66 metres at 2.19% nickel and 0.48% copper, thus extending the mineralisation where previously it was thought to have pinched out. Last week, the company reported that the first diamond drill-hole at the Horn intersected five metres of semi-massive to massive nickel sulphide mineralisation from 120 metres. This interval has been logged, sampled and submitted to the laboratory, and assay results are pending. Drilling ongoing Drilling continues with a further four holes remaining for the Horn prospect. The observed intercept reaffirms the thickness and continuity of the massive nickel-sulphide mineralisation at a relatively shallow depth at the Horn and highlights the potential for targeting further mineralisation extensions along strike to the north of the prospect.