Western Mines Group has sharpened its exploration focus after completing a review of its project portfolio, clearing the decks for new growth by exiting non-core assets and securing two new large-scale greenfields nickel-copper opportunities in Western Australia.
The company has pegged two new exploration tenements spanning 400 square kilometres across two distinct structural margins of WA’s Yilgarn Craton. One application, the Fraser Range project, sits on the state’s southwestern cratonic margin, covering ground previously explored by Legend Mining and hosting the mineralised Octagonal Intrusion. It lies 120km southeast of the company’s Mulga Tank nickel project and 245km east of Kalgoorlie.
The second project near Mt Narryer targets anomalous copper-nickel geochemistry along WA’s northwestern cratonic margin, 214km northeast of Kalbarri. Both projects were pegged over vacant ground, giving Western Mines a low-cost entry into strategically positioned exploration areas.
The new acquisitions were offset by the sale of its Melita exploration licence near Leonora and the surrender of its Pinyalling project. Western Mines says dispensing with these projects has freed up time and capital while trimming holding costs.
The company emphasises its flagship Mulga Tank project remains a priority, hosting Australia’s largest nickel sulphide mineral resource. Recent drilling returned high-grade nickel results including 4.35 per cent nickel. Western Mines also signed a memorandum of understanding with Magnium Australia to investigate potential supply of oxidised near-surface magnesite from Mulga Tank.
