Nickel and cobalt mineralisation at the Murrin Murrin deposits,
in the North Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia,
occurs within laterites developed on Archaean serpentinised
peridotite units. Lateritic weathering of the peridotite has
produced a resource of 116.8 Mt at 1.10 per cent Ni and 0.082
per cent Co (resource at May 1996 with a 0.8 per cent Ni cut-off;
see Fazakerley and Monti, this volume). The mineralogy of the Murrin Murrin laterites was investigated
to identify the minerals hosting significant Ni mineralisation.
Laterite profiles were studied using X-ray Diffraction (XRD),
impregnated polished thin sections, and Energy Dispersive
Spectroscopy (EDS) Electron Microprobe analysis, of RC
percussion drill chips. This paper summarises the results of these
studies, and briefly discusses the nature of the minerals hosting
Ni mineralisation.