EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT

Blackstone has immediate drill success targeting massive sulphide nickel

BLACKSTONE Minerals has drilled excellent-grade massive nickel and copper sulphides in Vietnam after drilling EM targets, opening up the possibility geophysics could unlock the “world-class magmatic nickel sulphide geology” throughout the Ta Khoa district.

 EM could light up the district scale potential of Ta Khoa, Vietnam

EM could light up the district scale potential of Ta Khoa, Vietnam

The company's maiden drilling at the Ban Chang prospect hit 5.2m at 0.66% nickel and 0.73% copper (plus 0.79 grams per tonne PGE) from 58m, including 1m at 3% nickel and 1.2% copper.

Ban Chang is 2.5km from Ban Phuc where previous owners mined 975,000t grading 2.4% nickel and 1% copper from an average vein width of 1.3m.

Geophysics has generated 25 prospects with massive sulphide veins.

The exploration comes with Blackstone looking at a number of potential development scenarios including blending bulk-mined disseminated resources with higher grade massive sulphide resources for processing.

As drilling continues, a maiden disseminated resource estimate is expected next quarter, with Blackstone also starting scoping work on a downstream processing facility at Ta Khoa targeting the lithium ion battery industry.

Blackstone made a placement to EcoPro BM in April worth $6.8 million (when new shares priced at 17c each were issued), with the Korean company being the world's second largest and Korea's largest nickel-rich cathode materials manufacturer.

The two company are looking at the potential to jointly develop the downstream processing facility.

Shares in Blackstone were up 14% to 16.5c in afternoon trade, capitalising the company at $31 million. 

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