Askesjö

EMX’s interest in the Askesjö project stemmed from a Swedish Geological Survey file describing an ultramafic intrusion that showed “enriched mineralization of pyrrhotite and pentlandite. In addition to nickel, there are up to a few ppm palladium and platinum.”  Copper and nickel occurrences were described in the area, but mafic-ultramafic intrusions were not depicted on the 1:50,000 scale geological map of the area. In subsequent field visits, EMX geologists observed both zones of disseminated and massive sulfide mineralization enriched in nickel and copper developed in and around ultramafic dikes and/or sills. In one case, disseminated sulfide mineralization was seen over at least a 10 meter thick interval and projected under cover.

The absence of mapped mafic and ultramafic rocks may have led to these occurrences being overlooked, and the last substantive exploration took place in the early 1970’s. Bolden drilled a series of shallow reconnaissance holes in 1972 (averaging 50 meters depth), and intersected multiple intervals of disseminated sulfide mineralization that were never followed up. In reviewing the drill core in the Swedish national drill core archive, some of the better intervals of sulfide mineralization remain unsampled (whole core). It is clear, however, that sulfide saturation took place within the intrusion(s). The lower contacts of the intrusions, where sulfide masses may have been concentrated have never been explored.

A review of the prospect and its lithogeochemistry by Bob Mahin suggests that the ultramafic intrusions have favorable picritic compositions and portions of the ultramafic intrusions show marked depletions in copper and PGE’s. These are attributes seen in other large nickel sulfide deposits around the world such as Eagle, (USA), Noril’sk-Talnakh (Russia), Jinchuan (China), Pechenga (Russia), and Voisey’s Bay (Canada).

Note: The nearby mines and deposits in the region provide context for EMX’s Projects, but this is not necessarily indicative that the Projects host similar mineralization.

Maps

Photos

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge