Ardea Resources Limited (Ardea or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on nickel sulphide exploration within its extensive Kalpini Project located 70km northeast of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia (WA).
Within its Kalpini tenure, Ardea controls an Eastern and Western Ultramafic belt, with each belt extending over 20km of continuous strike and prospective for hosting high-grade and disseminated nickel sulphide. An RC drill rig has been secured to test the conductive zone that is modelled to extend up-plunge from the nickel sulphides intersected in drillhole AELD0002. The target is Kambalda-style, high-grade, basal contact massive nickel sulphides connected to the sulphides intersected in AELD0002.
Comments from Managing Director Andrew Penkethman: 'Ardea drillhole, AELD0002, intersected high grade nickel sulphide mineralisation hosted within an ultramafic unit located on an intact felsic footwall contact, so we have confirmed the required geology and nickel sulphide fertility. Follow-up geophysical surveys have indicated that this zone of nickel sulphide extends up and down plunge from AELD0002. The next stage of exploration on this target is to drill an RC hole to test the interpreted up-plunge extension of the nickel sulphide mineralisation. If successful, Ardea will have confirmed a nickel sulphide discovery, at our Emu Lake Prospect, located only 70km northeast of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. To help achieve this goal, Ardea have designed a drill hole, approved site logistics and secured access to a high capacity RC drill rig and expect drilling to commence next week.'
Kalpini Project - Emu Lake Prospect
The Kalpini Project extends over 240km2, with the leading nickel sulphide target, Emu Lake, located 70km northeast of Kalgoorlie. This strategic tenement package contains two belts each covering 20km strike of prospective ultramafic stratigraphy held 100% by Ardea and mostly within granted mining leases. The project is 35km east of the Black Swan Nickel Project (Silver Swan mine), operated by Poseidon Nickel Ltd, within a parallel komatiite volcanic belt.
Planned Drilling Program
The Mise a la Masse (MALM) and down-hole magneto-metric resistivity (DHMMR) surveys completed in June 2021 around Ardea drill hole, AELD0002, were used to map the intersected sulphides along the basal felsic contact. The survey was successful and demonstrated the potential for a Silver Swan style nickel sulphide ribbon (80m strike) to extend to within 150m of the surface and open at depth. This feature has been modelled as plunging steeply to the northeast through and below the nickel sulphide intercept in AELD0002 (ASX release 13 July 2021).
The proposed RC drilling is targeting the MALM anomaly up-dip from the nickel sulphide intercept in ALED0002 on the Western Binti Ultramafic Flow. The target is Kambalda-style, high-grade, basal contact massive nickel sulphides connected to the sulphides intersected in AELD0002. The proposed RC hole has been planned to intersect the target at about 210m down hole, approximately 180m below surface and has been planned to a total depth of 250m. A drill rig has been secured, the drill site prepared and drilling is scheduled to commence in the week commencing 23 August 2021.
A second RC drill hole has been planned targeting a recently identified moving loop electro-magnetic (MLEM) anomaly immediately west of the Eastern Ultramafic unit of the Kalpini project (ASX release 13 July 2021) at the Wellington East C target. This exploration drill hole will target the modelled MLEM plate located below a strong copper anomaly on the edge of the main Kalpini Eastern Ultramafic unit. Copper in historic RC drilling (Vale, 2008) was up to 1,370 ppm in two holes 80m along strike. The copper results were strong towards the end of the two holes suggesting they may be close to a primary sulphide source. The setting may well be a Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS), so requires drill evaluation.
Background and Company Strategy
Ardea's focus continues to be the accelerated Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP) feasibility study work streams (ASX release 31 May 2021), to ensure ethical and sustainable nickel-cobalt and scandium production for the rapidly expanding lithium-ion battery supply chain. However, Ardea's strategic tenure in the heart of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia is also highly prospective for both nickel sulphide and Critical Minerals with their active exploration complementing the development of the KNP.
It is important to note that any nickel sulphide discovery, as well as processing as a conventional sulphide flotation concentrate, has the potential to be processed through the High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) autoclave planned for Ardea's Goongarrie Hub and has the added benefit of helping control autoclave oxidising potential and typically improving recoveries.
Contact:
Andrew Penkethman
Tel: +61 8 6244 5136
About Ardea Resources
Ardea Resources Limited (ASX:ARL) is an ASX-listed resources company, with a portfolio of 100% controlled West Australian-based projects, focussed on: Development of the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP) and its sub-set the Goongarrie Hub, a globally significant series of nickel-cobalt and Critical Mineral deposits which host the largest nickel-cobalt resource in the developed world at 830Mt at 0.71% nickel and 0.046% cobalt for 5.9Mt of contained nickel and 380kt of contained cobalt (ARL ASX announcement 16 June 2021), located in a jurisdiction with exemplary ESG credentials.
Advanced-stage exploration at compelling nickel sulphide, Critical Minerals, and gold targets within the KNP Eastern Goldfields world-class nickel-gold province, with all exploration targets complementing the KNP nickel development strategy
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ARDEA RESOURCES LIMITED 
