Forrestania nickel deposits.

The deposits, in Western Australia, lie in the Archaean Forrestania greenstone belt, which comprises a lowermost sequence of tholeiitic basalt and numerous thin banded iron formation and chert units. This is overlain by psammitic to pelitic schists. All the nickel sulphide deposits of the belt occur within the Eastern and Western ultramafic belts. The Cosmic Boy deposit is the largest deposit, containing around 4 000 000 t at 2.4% Ni. Primary mineralisation consists of a strong dissemination of pyrrhotite-pentlandite+/-pyrite and chalcopyrite, with Ni grades between 0.7 and 5%. The Flying Fox deposit is a high grade massive sulphide deposit which has been mined since 1992. Total production is expected to be about 200 000 t at 3.1% Ni. At January 1997 the proved and probable ore reserves for the Forrestania area were 1 100 000 t at 1.9% Ni.
The deposits, in Western Australia, lie in the Archaean Forrestania greenstone belt, which comprises a lowermost sequence of tholeiitic basalt and numerous thin banded iron formation and chert units. This is overlain by psammitic to pelitic schists. All the nickel sulphide deposits of the belt occur within the Eastern and Western ultramafic belts. The Cosmic Boy deposit is the largest deposit, containing around 4 000 000 t at 2.4% Ni. Primary mineralisation consists of a strong dissemination of pyrrhotite-pentlandite+/-pyrite and chalcopyrite, with Ni grades between 0.7 and 5%. The Flying Fox deposit is a high grade massive sulphide deposit which has been mined since 1992. Total production is expected to be about 200 000 t at 3.1% Ni. At January 1997 the proved and probable ore reserves for the Forrestania area were 1 100 000 t at 1.9% Ni.