The Peura-aho prospect is located approximately 6 kilometres north of Hietaharju and is related to a large scale anticline plunging steeply to the north-east. The sequence hosting the deposit comprises a footwall of porphyritic quartzo-feldspathic schist, a serpentinite unit and hangingwall mafic unit that includes narrow quartzo-feldspathic and carbonaceous schist horizons. The nickel-sulphide mineralisation occurs as disseminated sulphides within the serpentinite unit, and massive sulphides within the footwall quartzo-feldspathic schist.
Peura-aho area was discovered by prospector samples of massive nickel and copper sulphides in the early 1960`s. Outokumpu completed an exploration program in 1961-63 covering the area. This programme led to the discovery of Hietaharju and Peura-aho nickel-copper deposits.
A resource estimate completed by Outokumpu in 1970 quotes 164,000 tonnes at 0.52% nickel, 0.21% copper, 9.9% iron and 3.1% sulphur for the disseminated type of the deposit.
The massive sulphide deposit is exposed at surface as an east-west trending gossan over approximately 50 metres. Outokumpu’s resource estimate for this massive sulphide deposit was very modest, quoting 14,000 tonnes at 1.1% nickel and 0.37% copper based on a composite sample taken from the gossan by Outokumpu in 1970.
Altona Mining has drilled total of 52 diamond drill holes in three phases at the Peura-aho prospect totalling 4,343 metres.
Exploration at the Peura-aho prospect resulted in:
| Magnetic image of the Peura-aho prospect Drill hole collars are shown as white dots and black dots. Till geochemical samples are shown as green dots indicating nickel values. Kuhmo Metals claims are shown in white. Map grid is 500x500 metres |
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Detailed geology of the Peura-aho deposit
New drill holes are shown in white and old in black |
| Peura-aho cross section including new holes SMS/PA-6, -7 and -14 |
| Massive Ni-Cu bearing sulphides within felsic footwall (hole SMS-PA-6) |