Mulga Tank Hole MTD031 Returns 230m at 0.30% Ni with Multiple Higher-Grade Intervals

Broad Nickel Sulphide Intersection Highlights Resource Potential

Western Mines Group Ltd (ASX:WMG) has unveiled further encouraging assay results from its Mulga Tank nickel sulphide project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields. Hole MTD031, part of the Phase 4 infill drilling program, returned a continuous 230.2-metre intersection grading 0.30% nickel with elevated cobalt, copper, and platinum group elements (PGEs), starting from just 90 metres depth. Within this broad zone, multiple higher-grade intervals stand out, including 6 metres at 1.02% nickel and 8 metres at 0.81% nickel, with individual one-metre sections reaching up to 1.83% nickel. These results reinforce the presence of a significant nickel sulphide mineral system with potential for shallow, higher-grade starter pit material.

These latest assays build on the company’s ongoing efforts to upgrade and extend the current mineral resource estimate, which already ranks Mulga Tank as Australia’s largest nickel sulphide deposit with over 5 million tonnes of contained nickel. The robust mineralisation in MTD031, located in the southern fence of the main ultramafic complex, complements earlier standout drill results such as hole MTRC066, which returned some of the best grades among the 75 shallow RC holes drilled to date, underscoring the potential for resource growth in this area. This progress follows a series of strong Phase 4 results that confirmed a hybrid nickel sulphide system at Mulga Tank Phase 4 drilling confirms robust nickel sulphide mineralisation.

Phase 5 Drilling Program Overcomes Fuel Constraints

After earlier challenges with diesel availability that slowed operations, Western Mines has now resumed its Phase 5 drilling program with improved momentum. The company has completed a diamond tail extension to hole MTRC001 and three RC infill holes (MTRC073 to MTRC075), and recently finished mud rotary pre-collars for ten additional holes, with RC drilling recommencing this week. The focus remains on targeting extensions of higher-grade mineralisation and refining the distribution of grades within the Mulga Tank resource.

Managing Director Dr Caedmon Marriott highlighted the significance of the diamond tail drilling, which targets basal zones within the ultramafic complex. The MTRC001 diamond tail, drilled from 444 to 895 metres, intersected around 400 metres of high-MgO adcumulate dunite and over 200 metres of disseminated magmatic sulphides, including high-tenor nickel sulphide globules and semi-massive sulphide segregations. These features mirror those seen in earlier holes MTD028 and MTRC011, providing strong evidence that the conditions exist for basal massive sulphide accumulations akin to notable nickel deposits. This confirms the potential for significant nickel sulphide mineralisation at depth and along the western margin of the complex Western Mines Reports High-Grade Nickel Sulphide Assays Up to 4.35% Ni at Mulga Tank.

Geochemical Insights and Targeting Strategy with pXRF Data

Western Mines continues to employ portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) technology on core samples as a real-time exploration tool to guide drilling and vector towards higher-grade zones. The pXRF data from hole MTRC001 corroborates the presence of a high-MgO ultramafic host rock with elevated nickel, copper, and sulphur levels, indicative of active magmatic sulphide processes. While pXRF readings are preliminary and require confirmation by laboratory assays, they have helped delineate geochemical trends and mineralised horizons within the Mulga Tank Complex, refining the company’s understanding of its architecture and mineralisation controls.

The combination of elevated sulphur and nickel, alongside chalcophile elements such as copper and PGEs, supports the interpretation of a "live" magmatic sulphide system. The S:Ni ratio exceeding 0.5 across mineralised intervals further confirms the presence of nickel sulphides rather than nickel locked in silicate minerals. This geochemical fingerprinting is crucial for distinguishing economically viable mineralisation and targeting thicker, higher-grade zones for resource growth.

Next Steps in Drilling and Resource Development

With the Phase 5 drilling program now progressing smoothly, Western Mines plans to complete the remaining holes targeting extensions of known high-grade zones and explore a newly interpreted uplifted basal sequence in the southwestern corner of the complex. This area is considered prospective for near-surface, enriched nickel sulphide mineralisation, potentially adding starter pit material above 0.40% nickel grades. The company anticipates completing Phase 5 drilling over the next couple of months, with ongoing assay results expected to further inform exploration targeting and resource modelling.

Western Mines’ methodical approach of integrating drilling, geochemical assays, and pXRF data continues to build a detailed picture of the Mulga Tank nickel sulphide system. As the company advances its understanding of mineralisation controls and distribution, the path towards upgrading the resource and defining higher-grade zones becomes clearer, reinforcing Mulga Tank’s status as a globally significant nickel sulphide project Western Mines Advances Mulga Tank with High-Grade Nickel and New Strategic Moves.