Athena Resources has identified persistent elevated nickel sulphides and native copper in the eastern portion of the Byro Iron Ore Project in Western Australia's Gascoyne Mineral Field.

Results from drilling in 2010 and 2011 demonstrated that the geochemistry varies greatly through 0 to 212.4 meters depth and from 212.4 meters to 500 meters depth.

The best intersections from Byro were:

Nickel
22.7 meters at 0.3% nickel from 232.3 meters, including 0.5 meters at 0.64% nickel.

Chrome
10.5 meters at 0.61% chrome from 354 meters, including 0.5 meters at 1.03% chrome.

Copper
10 meters at 0.05% copper from 346.5 meters, including 0.5 meters at 0.33% copper.

Sulphur
0.5 meters at 0.31% sulphur from 254.4 meters.

Athena's Byro Project comprises 10 exploration licenses and 2 exploration licence applications, covering about 3,000 square kilometers.

Historical reverse circulation drilling at the Byro East intrusion included only three holes that tested the geochemistry and mineralization below 100 meters depth, with no diamond drilling completed.

High grade iron ore at Byro
Meanwhile, drilling carried out at the Byro project in November 2011 expanded the high grade magnetite horizon at the Byro South and Whitmarsh Find prospects.

Magnetite intersections at Byro South include:

10 meters at 31.48% iron from 58 meters
26 meters at 31.54% iron from 80 meters
18 meters at 35.69% iron from 90 meters

At Whitmarsh Find magnetite was also intersected with results including 24 meters at 32.76% iron from 52 meters.

Byro is strategically located 100 kilometers west of the proposed Midwest Iron Ore Railway which is planned to link existing and future iron ore projects in the Mid West Region to the proposed Oakajee deep water bulk shipping port north of Geraldton.