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Class 1 Nickel’s VTEM Airborne Geophysical Survey over the Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Sulphide Project Identifies 14 new anomalies

Nov 11, 2020


Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited has completed a previously announced 1,012 line-km VTEM™ Plus time-domain electromagnetic airborne survey by Geotech Ltd., over its Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Sulphide Project. The property covers approximately 20 square km and is located about 45 km northeast of Timmins.

The Project comprises four foundation resources; Alexo North, Alexo South, Dundonald North and Dundonald South, which are situated on the near-continuous folded komatiite-ultramafic unit that can be traced on the Property for at least 14 kilometres. The four Mineral Resources are all open at depth and along strike and could increase in size with more drilling. The purpose of the VTEM™ survey was to survey the entire 20 square km land package for electromagnetic and magnetic signatures that could possibly aid in identifying new mineral resource targets and/or extensions to existing mineral resources.

Benjamin Cooper, President & CEO, commented, “We are very pleased with the preliminary results from the first modern, heliborne high-resolution electromagnetic and magnetic survey over the Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Sulphide Project. Not only has the VTEM™ survey provided us with a big picture overview of the known mineralisation that gives us a target electromagnetic-magnetic signature, I am also very pleased to report that as many as 14 new priority targets have emanated from this survey.”

The Company’s highly skilled and experienced technical team are now reviewing the results with a view to planning a consequential drilling program. Once the final VTEM™ data and report is received, including 3D conductor and magnetic models, the Company intends to update the market further.

Highlights: 

  • Many new strong to very strong airborne electromagnetic (“AEM”) anomalies were detected by the VTEM™ survey, including anomalies over known deposits (Dundonald North, Dundonald South, Alexo North and Alexo South), providing reliable AEM/magnetic signatures of known massive and net-textured nickel sulphide mineralization;
  • Priority targets for ground truthing include 14 promising AEM anomalies that appear to be untested or under-tested by known historical drilling;
  • Several of the targets selected as priority targets for ground truthing show similarities to the known four deposits: and,
  • The next stage of VTEM™ interpretation involves quantitative modelling of the anomalies of interest and ranking by geological and geophysical priority prior to drilling.

Class 1 Nickel’s independent geophysical and geological consulting team have reviewed the preliminary VTEM™ AEM and magnetic data and found it to be very promising. A magnetic inversion model has provided new information on the 3D geological and structural relationships, particularly the apparent west-verging folded komatiitic horizon which hosts the Dundonald North and Dundonald South deposits, evident in the total field magnetics (see Figure 1. below).

Many new strong to very strong AEM anomalies were detected by the VTEM™ survey, including anomalies over known deposits (Dundonald North, Dundonald South, Alexo North and Alexo South) which provide for a reliable AEM/magnetic signature of known massive and net-textured nickel sulphide mineralization. The better-quality AEM anomalies were classified as strong and very strong conductors (see Figure 2, below). These anomalies have been correlated with geology, mineralization, and all known historical drilling. A total of 14 good-quality AEM anomalies or parts of anomalies (labelled A to N in Figure 2) that appear to have either not been tested, or that have been under-tested by known drilling were selected as priority targets for immediate follow-up ground-truthing. These priority targets will be checked by field crews for evidence of previous work (e.g., drilling) and any cultural interference effects.

Several of these priority targets show similarities to the known deposits; strong to very strong conductance with limited strike extent, and as such are considered to be top priority targets. The VTEM™ survey also shows conductive trends in some areas along-strike from known deposits, which may assist in extending the strike length of known nickel sulphide mineralization.

The next stage of VTEM™ interpretation involves quantitative modelling of the anomalies of interest and ranking by geological and geophysical priority. Quantitative interpretation of the VTEM™ results will produce 3D conductor models suitable for follow-up, ground time-domain EM surveys and (or) direct drill testing with follow-up borehole time-domain EM surveys, as appropriate.



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