Author: Dr Ryan D. Long.
Mink Ventures Corporation (TSXV:MINK) has reported assay results from its recent four-hole (654 m) maiden diamond drill programme at the Rankin Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Property, located approximately 35 km northwest of Timmins, Ontario.
First hole returns massive sulphide mineralisation
Hole R26-1, the first hole drilled in this programme, intersected a zone of massive and semi-massive sulphides, which Mink has now designated the RAK Zone. This intercept returned 0.5745% Ni, 0.8798% Cu and 0.0756% Co over 2.1 m from 59.0 m depth. Higher-grade intervals within the zone included:
- 0.50 m @ 0.937% Ni, 0.812% Cu, 0.121% Co
- 0.60 m @ 0.339% Ni, 1.310% Cu, 0.046% Co
This article is disseminated in partnership with Mink Ventures Corporation It is intended to inform investors and should not be taken as a recommendation or financial advice.
The programme has yet to fully test its objectives
This programme was designed to test two high-conductivity VTEM-Maxwell Plate anomalies (A and B). Despite the success of the first hole discovering massive sulphide mineralisation, drilling did not test the high-conductivity VTEM-Maxwell Plate anomalies A or B (Figure 1).
Three holes were collared from the east shore of Rankin Lake to evaluate Anomaly A (located under the lake). Hole R26-1 fortuitously intersected the new RAK Zone massive and semi-massive sulphides at shallow depth but then deviated due to difficult ground conditions and was abandoned before reaching the intended Maxwell Plate target.
An undercut (R26-2) and a re-oriented hole (R26-4) also failed to fully test Anomaly A, with R26-4 also experiencing deviation and therefore failing to intersect the plate anomaly. As a result, Anomaly A and its strong conductive response remain untested, and the geometry and relationship of the RAK Zone to the anomaly is still unknown.
The single hole drilled to test Anomaly B (R26-3) was designed to cut both independent plate interpretations, but the upper plate appears to have been cut off by a diabase dyke, and no significant conductive zone was intersected to explain the lower plate. Consequently, both high-priority VTEM targets remain unexplained and require further definition by down-hole electromagnetic surveying before additional drilling.
Magmatic Ni-Cu-(Co-PGE) deposits grades
Typical grades for economic magmatic Ni-Cu-(Co-PGE) deposits worldwide fall in the range of roughly 0.5–3% Ni and 0.2–2% Cu, often with cobalt and precious-metal credits. The single intercept from Rankin sits within that range, but early massive/semi-massive sulphide results in this style of system often show grade variability before broader zones are defined, and it’s far too early to speculate any further.
Comparable to Montcalm
The mineralisation at Rankin appears similar to the former Montcalm Mine, with the same style of magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide systems hosted in late Archean gabbroic complexes in the Timmins District.
Rankin lies within the Kamiskotia (Kam Kotia) gabbro complex, a large tholeiitic mafic intrusion. Montcalm is hosted in the nearby Montcalm Gabbro Complex—a related, coeval mafic intrusion. Geological studies of the two complexes have long suggested they are comparable layered or differentiated gabbroic bodies in the same regional setting.
In both cases, the mineralisation occurs as massive, semi-massive, and disseminated sulphides, primarily pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and chalcopyrite, in irregular lenses within the gabbro. This multi-metal association and sulphide texture are characteristic of magmatic sulphide deposits formed by segregation of immiscible sulphide liquid from mafic magma, rather than the volcanogenic massive sulphide (Cu-Zn) style that also occurs in the broader Kamiskotia area.
Next steps
Permit applications have been submitted for down-hole electromagnetic surveying to better define the geometry of the RAK Zone and its relationship to the VTEM conductors, particularly under Rankin Lake. This work is expected in early winter, as ice cover will be required.
A Phase 2 drill programme at Rankin is planned after the geophysics and after a minimum of 500 m of drilling is undertaken at the nearby Warren Property. The targets at Warren are three VTEM Maxwell Plates proximal to historical hole ML-1, which returned 0.84% Cu over 4.3 m in a felsic volcanic package prospective for Cu-Zn VMS.
Our thoughts
This initial massive sulphide intercept with multi-metal grades from a small, early-stage, reconnaissance drill programme in which the main high-conductivity VTEM targets were not fully tested due to hole deviations is a very encouraging start at Rankin for Mink.
Many Ni-Cu deposits begin with similar or thinner higher-grade massive sulphide hits; continuity, thickness, and overall size will depend on the planned down-hole EM surveys and follow-up drilling. This is a great result for Mink Ventures to build on.
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