Western Mines Group is pushing forward with an ambitious deep drilling program at its flagship Mulga Tank nickel project in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, targeting what could be a significant nickel system at depth.
Deep Diamond Drilling Reaches Critical Depth
The company is rapidly advancing a government-funded deep diamond hole that's already surpassed 900 metres down-hole and is closing in on a compelling target. This drilling falls under the WA government's Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS), with the company receiving $620,000 across three separate grants to support its exploration efforts.
According to Western Mines, the diamond portion is targeting a pronounced 3D magnetic high sitting directly above a strong conductive anomaly, perfectly positioned in a fold-hinge setting along the nickel-bearing contact of the main Mulga Tank ultramafic complex.
The new hole is strategically positioned between earlier intersections that logged high-grade sulphide segregations to both the east and west. Management is specifically testing another section of the active basal contact zone for a possible high-grade keel to its disseminated deposit.
Electromagnetic Survey Adds New Targets
Simultaneously, the company has launched a high-powered moving loop electromagnetic (MLEM) survey across the promising Panhandle komatiite system. This survey is designed to identify further massive sulphide targets near the company's substantial nickel resource.
Western Mines reports the geophysical crew commenced work this week, with the program expected to wrap up within two weeks. Any fresh bedrock conductor plates discovered will feed directly into seven EIS co-funded RC and diamond holes scheduled for early 2026.
Management is also working to slot in up to nine additional shallow RC holes within the main body before the Christmas break, provided a second drilling rig can be secured.
Growing Resource Inventory Shows Global Potential
Successive exploration campaigns at Mulga Tank have now traced the active basal contact over more than 2 kilometres, with multiple intersections of semi-massive and disseminated nickel sulphides indicating a large, fertile komatiite-hosted system.
The project now hosts an impressive contained metal inventory including 5.3 million tonnes of nickel, together with 257,000 tonnes of cobalt, 161,000 tonnes of copper and 1.1 million ounces of platinum and palladium.
Drilling to date has delivered 25 intersections exceeding 1% nickel across a tight 2-square-kilometre core area within the main ultramafic body, with most higher-grade material located within the top 300 vertical metres.
Western Mines Group managing director Dr Caedmon Marriott noted the EIS hole targets a coincident magnetic high feature and conductive MobileMT anomaly situated in a hinge position at the base of the western margin of the Complex.
The company highlights that its project shares similarities with BHP's Mount Keith-style disseminated sulphide system, offering substantial potential upside, particularly if massive sulphides are discovered.
With continuous EIS co-funding secured and a steady drilling program planned throughout the new year, Mulga Tank maintains a solid chance of developing into one of Western Australia's most compelling undeveloped komatiite nickel systems.
