Rio Tinto and Midland Uncover Further Potential in Santos Ni-Cu Zone
Drilling Results and Next Steps
Midland Exploration has released nickel-copper assay results from its latest drilling campaign at the Santos Ni-Cu discovery within the Tete Nord property, located near La Tuque, Quebec. This discovery, initially announced in April, is under an option agreement with Rio Tinto Exploration Canada.
In a recent effort to determine the extent of the Santos zone, drill hole MDLD0018 revealed a mineralized area grading 0.33% Ni and 0.12% Cu over 39.73 metres, situated approximately 50 metres from the original drill hole, MDLD0015. The latter had a reported finding of 0.45% Ni and 0.18% Cu across 10.37 metres.
The zone showcases magmatic breccias with significant semi-massive sulphide regions, suggesting a robust magmatic system at Santos. Both aforementioned drill holes started in this mineralized zone, the complete thickness of which remains undetermined, with expansion possibilities in all directions.
Upcoming Exploration Plans
Starting November 2023, pending permit approvals, a new drilling campaign will commence. This will involve four drill holes, amounting to 1,150 metres, with a primary focus on newly identified targets at greater depths. These targets emerged from downhole and ground electromagnetic surveys conducted in 2023's summer months.
Historical Context and Findings
For some historical context, the initial discovery hole, MDLD0015, was created to investigate a VTEM anomaly and an anomaly found in drill hole MDLD0009. The outcomes were multiple Ni-Cu mineralized layers within altered gabbro structures. Notably, between 20.11 to 22.79 metres down, there was a finding of 1.10% Ni and 0.71% Cu over 2.68 metres, and from 33.02 to 43.39 metres, there was a 0.45% Ni and 0.18% Cu grade over 10.37 metres. The Santos Ni-Cu zone is strategically situated on a north-south structure, about 8 kilometres from the previous Lac Edouard Ni-Cu mine.
