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Australian explorer Aston Minerals (ASX: ASO) has updated the JORC-compliant indicated tonnage estimate at the Boomerang nickel-cobalt sulphide system by 44%. The mineralization is part of the Edleston nickel-cobalt project, located 60 km by road south of Timmins, Ontario.
The indicated resource is now 231 million tonnes grading 0.27% nickel and 0.011% cobalt (0.30% nickel equivalent), an increase of 44% in tonnage compared to a year ago when the first estimate was made. The inferred tonnage has grown by 17% to 1.0 million tonnes at 0.27% nickel and 0.011% cobalt (0.30% nickel equivalent).
The total tonnage of the B2 and Bardwell deposits increased 22% to 1.3 million tonnes grading 0.27% nickel and 0.011% cobalt (0.30% nickel equivalent). Contained metals are estimated to be 7.4 billion lb. nickel and 297,624 lb. cobalt, representing a 21.6% increase in nickel metal tonnes.
Both deposits are still open at depth and along strike. A total of 32,898 metres has been drilled to date.
“The maiden resource declared in February 2023 gave Aston a strong foundation to continue to build on its technical knowledge about the Boomerang nickel-cobalt sulphide deposit. The drilling program put together in 2023 had two objectives and these have both been successfully met,” said managing director Russell Bradford.
First was to expand the B2 zone, and second was to convert inferred resources at the Bardwell zone to indicated.
Metallurgical locked cycle tests are currently being conducted at Corem Laboratory Quebec. The results will feed back into the geo-metallurgical model. Drill core from Bardwell will be composited and used in metallurgical flowsheet variability testing which will start in the second quarter 2024.
