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EXPLORATION CONCEPTS

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Nickel deposits can be categorised into two distinct model types, comprising (1) lateritic nickel deposits, such as Murrin Murrin in Western Australia and (2) nickel sulphide deposits such as those in the Kambalda region of Western Australia. Nickel sulphide deposits can be further subdivided into (1) komatiitic, as characterised by the Kambalda region of Western Australia; and (2) the larger intrusion hosted deposits such as Voisey’s Bay in Canada, Jinchuan in China and Noril’sk-Talnakh in Russia. Mithril’s primary focus is nickel sulphide resources of either komatiitic or intrusion hosted affinity, collectively referred to as magmatic nickel sulphide deposits.

Nickel sulphide deposits are associated with mafic and ultramafic rock types and are spatially linked to magmatic plumbing systems, where large volumes of magnesium and iron-rich magma penetrate the Earth’s crust or erupt over it. Very large magmatic complexes with significant potential to host world class nickel deposits occur in Australia, with the critical geological considerations being the presence of large structures and sufficiently large reservoirs of magma from which nickel sulphides can segregate into potentially economic accumulations. This style of deposit is economically very attractive due to the typically high nickel grades and associated copper, platinum and palladium credits.