Midland Exploration drills 0.45% nickel, 0.18% copper over 10.37 metres at Tete Nord, Quebec
Midland Exploration Inc. [MD-TSXV] intersected a new nickel-copper occurrence during the first drilling program completed by Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (RTEC) on the Tete Nord property. Located near the town of La Tuque, Quebec, this property is currently wholly owned by Midland but is under option whereby RTEC can earn a 70% interest.
Highlights: New Ni-Cu zone (Santos) 8 km north of the former Lac Edouard Ni-Cu mine; significant Ni-Cu mineralization intervals were encountered from surface to 79 metres. Varied textured gabbro representing multiple intrusions were encountered with mineralization that ranged from weakly disseminated, net-textured to semi-massive; drill intercepts grading up to 1.10% nickel, 0.71% copper over 2.68 metres and 0.45% nickel, 0.18% copper over 10.37 metres.
The Santos zone remains open at depth and is accompanied by an off-hole anomaly; 510 additional claims were staked.
Drill hole MDLD0015, designed to test a VTEM anomaly, and an off-hole anomaly detected in drill hole MDLD0009, intersected, from 14 metres to 80 metres downhole depth, several layers with Ni-Cu mineralization within altered gabbro horizons. From 20.11 to 22.79 metres, the drill hole intersected 1.10% nickel and 0.71% copper over 2.68 metres. A little further down, from 33.02 to 43.39 metres, a mineralized interval graded 0.45% nickel and 0.18% copper over 10.37 metres.
This new Ni-Cu mineralized Santos zone is regionally well located along a North-South structure 8 km North of the former Lac Edward Ni-Cu mine.
The results of electromagnetic surveys conducted on surface and in drill hole indicate the presence of an unexplained conductor plunging to the southeast. The Santos zone thus remains entirely open in that direction. A geophysical gravity survey is currently underway and drilling to follow up on this new discovery is expected to resume in July 2023.
Ni-Cu intercepts on Savane: During this initial drilling program, 16 drill holes totalling 3,450 metres were completed to test a series of VTEM targets identified during the 2022 survey. Final assay results are still pending for 10 drill holes.
Among these, in the vicinity of the Savane showing, drill hole MDLD0001 intersected an interval grading 1.07% nickel and 0.13% copper over 0.78 metres, from 101.87 to 102.65 metres, associated with a mineralized pyroxenite horizon. Several other metre-scale intervals also yielded anomalous Ni-Cu values in drill holes MDLD0001 and MDLD0002.
Following geochemical treatment, the majority of Savane pyroxenites show geochemical affinity with mafic-ultramafic cumulate rocks based on Cr, Ni and Ti values, a strong indication of a dynamic conduit system and promising for Ni-Cu mineralization.
Following this new Ni-Cu discovery at Santos, a total of 510 additional claims were map designated to consolidate the Tete Nord property toward the northeast. This brings the total number of claims subject to the partnership with RTEC to 1,286 claims covering a surface area of approximately 746 km2.
The Tete Nord property covers mafic and ultramafic rocks of the La Bostonnais Complex north of La Tuque, which hosts the former Lac Edouard mine that historically produced 50,000 tonnes grading 1.50% Ni and 0.50% Cu).
This property hosts a few mineral occurrences, including the Savane showing located approximately 25 km south of the former Lac Edouard mine. This Ni-Cu showing was discovered by prospecting in 1995 when grab samples collected in a pyroxenite yielded historical values of 1.80% Ni and 0.20% Cu. Another grab sample from a subcropping boulder also yielded grades of 1.98% Ni and 0.46% Cu about 250 metres north of the Savane showing.