Pioneer Project
Introduction
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The Pioneer project is located 125km SSE of Kalgoorlie on the eastern flank of the Pioneer Dome.
The property straddles the Widgiemooltha Greenstone Belt, and includes the Pioneer nickel sulphide deposits, which occur as three known lenses including the JH with a reported (non JORC) resource of 32,500 tonne at 1.1% Ni.
Pioneer has entered into an off-take Agreement with WMC Resources Limited ("WMCR") whereby WMCR has a first right of refusal to negotiate an ore purchase agreement from the Pioneer project tenements.
Latest Development by Pioneer
Pioneer is fast tracking the grant process of key tenements. Immediately on grant a diamond drill hole will be completed to confirm mineralisation and provide structural information. The hole will also be used as a platform for DHTEM, to test for other mineralisation occurrences within close proximity. The key tenement with the JH and BB deposits is expected to be granted in November 2004.
Project Summary
Geological Setting
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The Pioneer Dome consists of a central hourglass shaped core of granite, surrounded and overlain by extrusive mafic and ultramafic units separated by sediments. Three separate east facing ultramafic horizons occur within the project. The ultramafic units are intercalated with mafic and felsic volcanics and associated sediments.
The Western Komatiite horizon outcrops as elongate ridges close to the Pioneer Granite. This unit consists of thin flow komatiites up to 400m thick, separated by approximately of mafic volcanic rocks and minor horizons of quartzite and black shale. The Pioneer nickel sulphide deposits occur in the basal horizon of the main Western Komatiite unit. Sporadic drilling elsewhere on the Western Komatiite has also intersected disseminated nickel sulphides on the basal contact, grading up to 0.50% Ni, with associated geochemical anomalies in the shallower adjacent holes.
The Central Komatiite horizon has little or no outcrop expression within Pioneer's tenement area but is clearly evident as a linear magnetic trend in TMI imagery, which extends for the strike of the project and is traceable north to Widgiemooltha. Soil sampling programs have confirmed the presence of the Central Komatiite, generating an anomalous nickel and coincident copper response which will be further tested immediately after listing.
The highly prospective Eastern Komatiite horizon, thought to correlate with the komatiite horizon that hosts the high grade Redross and Mariners Nickel Sulphide deposits to the north, is evident in places within Pioneer's tenements as a strongly magnetic unit which is traceable north to Widgiemooltha.
Pioneer's interpretation of aeromagnetic data indicates zones of thickening thought to represent prospective komatiite channels. Metamorphism throughout the project is upper greenschist to lower amphibolite grade, suggesting the potential for remobilisation of Nickel Sulphides into favourable structural zones.
Exploration Activity
Previous exploration methodology included acquiring TMI data to identify the position of ultramafic units, soil sampling and trenching to geochemically appraise the targets, combined with detailed mapping and IP surveys. Based on the results of these studies, diamond drilling tested for the presence of nickel sulphides at the base of the komatiite flow.
Two prospects contain significant occurrences of Ni-Cu mineralisation, specifically the JH and BB Deposits.
- The JH Deposit consists of two lenses at or near the basal komatiite contact. A northern lens is 115m long, up to 6m thick, with a dip length of 180m; and
- a southern lens 60m long, up to 1.6mthick, with a dip length of 180m. Mineralisation is in the form of lenses, veins and stringers of marcasite after pyrrhotite and violarite after pentlandite. Associated finely disseminated sulphide is less altered and consists of pyrrhotite, pentlandite and chalcopyrite. Some 32,500 tonne at 1.1% Ni and 0.1% Cu is reported for the JH Deposit (non JORC).
- The BB Deposit consists of a single lens which occurs 15m above the basal komatiite contact. The lens is 90m long, up to 3m thick, with a plunge (35oNNE) length of 110m. The average grade of the BB Deposit is 1.0% Ni and 0.1% Cu, with approximately 830t per vertical metre reported.
