Centaurus Metals (ASX: CTM) has obtained outstanding results, including a stand-out intersection of 20.4m at 3.94% Ni from 612.7m in drilling targeting further resource growth at its 100%-owned Jaguar Nickel Sulphide Project in the Carajás Mineral Province of northern Brazil.
Managing Director, Darren Gordon, said the outstanding high-grade results being generated by step- out drilling reinforced the world-class nature of the Jaguar Deposit, supporting the company’s expectations for further resource growth and confirming strong potential to establish future underground mining operations well beyond the currently planned open pits.
“To be able to announce one of our best-ever intersections from our deepest drill-hole completed to date – even after completing 600 drill-holes at Jaguar – is testament to the incredible growth potential of this fantastic asset.
“An intercept of 20.4m at 3.94% Ni from 612m down-hole at the Jaguar South Deposit, including 9.5m at 5.59% Ni, is an outstanding result and sets a great platform for the very exciting Jaguar Deeps drill programme that we plan to commence in April.
“Onça Preta also continues to deliver, with its deepest drill hole to-date returning intersections of 15.0m at 1.76% Ni from 500.0m and 25.2m at 0.99% Ni from 559.3m. We also have visual confirmation of more semi-massive nickel sulphides from the deposit’s second deepest hole, which sits on a neighbouring drill section.
“These high-grade step-out holes from Jaguar South and Onça Preta sit below the latest MRE and pit optimization and are expected to contribute to future MRE upgrades that will eventually feed into an underground mine plan.
“Additionally, some relatively shallower step-out and extensional drilling has identified a new high-grade shoot at the Jaguar North Deposit, with stand-out intersections of 11.1m at 4.06% Ni from 97.0m and 9.5m at 3.43% Ni from 174.5m. These intersections sit outside of the November 2022 MRE limits, with the potential for this mineralization to be incorporated into future pit optimisation work.
“The continued delivery of outstanding results from resource growth drilling is consistent with the Company’s two- pronged strategy of continuing to grow and upgrade the Jaguar Resource, in parallel with key de-risking steps associated with Project permitting and the completion of the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study.”
Jaguar South
The deepest hole completed by the Company to date on the Project, JAG-DD-22-445 on section 478300mE, reached a final depth of 771m. This hole intersected 20.4m at 3.94% Ni from 612.7m with the intersection being at the base of the November 2022 MRE and more than 120m down-dip from the previous deepest hole on section JAG-DD-22- 223 (16.4m at 1.34% Ni).
This deep, high-grade intersection included an outstanding higher-grade intercept of 9.5m at 5.59% Ni from 612.7m.
Further, drill-hole JAG-DD-22-487, the second deepest hole completed at Jaguar South, was collared 90m to the east of JAG-DD-22-445 on section 478390mE and intersected 11.0m at 1.43% Ni from 574.0m. Hole JAG-DD-22- 460, on section 478270mE, which is 30m to the west of JAG-DD-22-445, also returned an outstanding high-grade intersection at depth of 9.0m at 2.21% Ni from 599.0m.
This drilling confirms the presence of consistent high-grade mineralization across multiple sections over at least 180m of strike and at depths greater than 600m from surface. DHEM conductor plates suggest the strike of the high-grade shoot could be up to 300m wide and extend for at least 200m below the current deepest drilling.
The Jaguar Deeps drill programme, which is scheduled to commence in April, will target this high-grade shoot.
The Jaguar South Deposit is the largest deposit at the Jaguar Project, hosting an MRE of 34.6Mt at 0.92% Ni for more than 316kt of contained nickel. The base of the November 2022 MRE continues to be constrained by the depth of drilling and ongoing step-out drilling continues to confirm that the mineralization remains open at depth and along the +800m strike length of the deposit in both directions.
Highlights of the new assay results received from drilling at the Jaguar South Deposit include the following down- hole intervals.
For further information please visit: https://www.centaurus.com.au/
