The company drilled five reconnaissance holes at three drill sites over about 1.8km of strike length, all of which hit sulphide mineralisation.
Results included 69m at 0.9 grams per tonne palladium, platinum and gold (3E), 0.1% nickel, 0.1% copper and 0.01% cobalt (0.6% nickel equivalent) from 312m, including 3.4m at 11.5gpt 3E, 0.1% nickel, 0.2% copper and 0.01% cobalt (4% NiEq) and 4.4m at 0.5gpt 3E, 0.3% nickel, 0.2% copper and 0.03% cobalt (0.7% NiEq); and 40m at 1.6gpt 3E, 0.2% nickel, 0.2% copper and 0.02% cobalt (0.9% NiEq) from 142m, including 28m at 2.1gpt 3E, 0.2% nickel, 0.3% copper and 0.02% cobalt (1.1% NiEq).
True widths are unknown but are estimated at 70-90%.
Chalice said it was highly encouraged by the results as it reinforced the prospectivity of the Julimar Complex to the north.
Assays are pending for a further nine holes.
Downhole electromagnetic surveys are being conducted to refine step-out targets.
“The host intrusion at Hooley has similar mafic to ultramafic geology and litho-geochemistry to Gonneville and, on this basis, it is inferred to be a continuation of the ‘chonolith’-like Julimar Complex,” Chalice said.
Hooley sits within the Julimar State Forest, where Chalice has permission to conduct low-impact exploration using specialist diamond drill rigs.
Exploration activities are continuing across the more than 30km-long Julimar Complex, with two diamond drill rigs currently drilling across the 10km-long Hartog-Baudin strike length and four rigs continuing resource drilling at Gonneville.
Gonneville, which sits outside the forest, has a resource of 350 million tonnes at 0.96 grams per tonne palladium, platinum and gold (3E), 0.16% nickel, 0.1% copper and 0.015% cobalt, or 0.58% nickel equivalent or 1.8gpt palladium equivalent.
Contained metal stands at 11Moz of 3E, 560,000 tonnes of nickel, 360,000t of copper and 54,000t of cobalt, or 2Mt of nickel equivalent and 20Moz of palladium equivalent.
