[meteorite-list] Impact Minerals/CITIC to Drill Meteorite Impact Site in Australia for Nickel

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:36:07 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201008262336.o7QNa7Mg016413_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page674?oid=110310&sn=Detail&pid=102055

Impact Minerals/CITIC to drill huge Sudbury-like WA meteorite impact
site for nickel

Mineweb
August 26, 2001

SUMMARY

An infill soil geochemistry survey at Target NH1 at the
Yarrabubba Joint Venture Project near Meekatharra in Western Australia
has defined two priority drill targets for nickel mineralisation;

The Yarrabubba Project covers a large (>50 km) diameter
meteorite impact structure that has similar geological features to those
at the large Sudbury mining camp in Canada, and that has produced about
20% of the World's nickel;

These two areas have not been drilled;

A drill programme to test these targets will commence as soon
as possible after the statutory Aboriginal Heritage Survey is completed
in late September;

Impact Minerals has a 20% share of the Yarrabubba Project and
is in Joint Venture with CITIC Nickel Australia Pty Ltd (60%) and four
private investors (20%).

The Yarrabubba Impact Structure

Impact Minerals' 20%-owned Yarrabubba Project, located 50 km south east
of Meekatharra in Western Australia, has most of the geological
characteristics of the World Class Sudbury mining camp in Canada which
has produced about 20% of the World's nickel.

It is generally accepted that a major meteorite impact occurred at
Sudbury and that this gave rise to the many large nickel-copper-PGE
deposits in that area.

The Yarrabubba Joint Venture tenements cover about 1,200 sq km. Within
these there is a very large magnetic low in regional airborne magnetic
data and outcrops of distinctive geological structures indicative of
shock metamorphism which have been interpreted (in published scientific
papers) to be caused by a major meteorite impact. The feature in this
area is called the Yarrabubba Impact Structure.

Interpretation of close-spaced airborne magnetic data flown by the
Yarrabubba Joint Venture has defined in more detail the large magnetic
low (Figure 1). It is at least 50 km long and up to 15 km wide and is
interpreted to be caused by both the meteorite impact and by related
subsequent hydrothermal fluids that may form mineral deposits within the
intensely fractured rocks. These fluids have caused extensive magnetite
destruction and development of sericite, an alteration mineral.

The airborne magnetic data has also revealed multiple radial and
concentric structures prospective for deposits of nickel, copper and
platinum group metals, similar to those which host nickel deposits at
the Sudbury mining camp.

Soil Geochemistry Results

Previous soil geochemistry programmes at Yarrabubba identified Target
NH1 as a highly ranked area of about 10 sq km that warranted infill soil
sampling to define specific drill targets (Figure 1).

A programme of 1,494 soil samples taken at a spacing of 50 m by 50 m was
completed in the June Quarter 2010. The samples were submitted for
multi-metal analysis by the MMI-M partial digest method at SGS
Laboratories in Perth

Two areas, called NH1A and NH1B, contain significant nickel responses of
between 10 and 58 times background and which are each coincident with a
north west to south east trending zone of linear magnetic anomalies
interpreted to be part of a major concentric fault related to the impact
event. The two areas are coincident with strong magnetic gradients
(Figure 2).

At Target NH1A the peak nickel responses are in part coincident with
strong cobalt responses of between 20 and 55 times background and weak
copper responses of between 5 and 6 times background.

At Target NH1B the peak nickel responses are sub-parallel to and are
partly coincident with modest copper responses of between 6 and 10 times
background. The south east part of NH1B is also coincident with modest
to strong cobalt responses of between 10 and 50 times background.

Drill Programme

Applications for Aboriginal heritage surveys and Government
environmental approvals were lodged in the June Quarter.

The Heritage Survey is expected to be completed by the end of September
and Government approvals are due shortly.

A drill programme will commence as soon as possible after the statutory
approvals have been received.

There are many other smaller areas containing elevated nickel responses
that may warrant further exploration if the drilling at NH1A and NH1B is
encouraging.
Received on Thu 26 Aug 2010 07:36:07 PM PDT