Silver Mines Ltd (ASX:SVL, OTC:SLVMF) has completed nearly 96 kilometres of 2D seismic reflection data covering its Bowdens Silver and Barabolar projects as well as regional Bara Creek and Coomber prospects in New South Wales.
The data collection has been designed to follow-up on the success of the 2022 seismic survey across Bowdens Silver.
Data from the survey are expected to be interpreted by November to provide drilling targets for epithermal silver-gold-base metal mineralisation as well as copper-gold porphyry targets at Barabolar.
Location of completed regional seismic survey.
Significant extensions
Separately, two diamond rigs have continued resource expansion drilling at the Bowdens Silver Project, focusing on high-grade sections of the deposit’s mineral resource such as the Aegean and Southern Gold zones.
Drilling has also tested responses defined from the 2022 seismic survey.
The latest results have confirmed the extension of mineralisation to the west, south and north zones, with highlights including:
- BD23014 - 2 metres @ 565 g/t silver equivalent from 155 metres;
- BD23010 - 8.3 metres @ 142 g/t silver equivalent from 559.7 metres;
- BD23013 - 162 metres @ 44 g/t silver equivalent from 468 metres; and
- BD23021 - 7 metres @ 89 g/t silver equivalent from 354 metres.
This drill program is part of the $150,000 funding from the NSW Government New Frontiers Exploration Program and is a major component of Silver Mines’ research and development into Bowdens Silver’s evolution and structure.
Two diamond drill rigs remain onsite to continue with 15,000 metres of exploration drilling in and around the deposit.
Other regional exploration has also commenced, with soil sampling, geological mapping and rock sampling being completed as reconnaissance.
Encouraging development
Drilling at the Barabolar Project has confirmed copper enrichment along with significant amounts of pyrite and elevated bismuth, suggesting the existence of a large metal bearing hydrothermal system.
While not yet an economic discovery, drill hole BAR22007 intersected 300 parts per million copper over 128 metres.
Coincident anomalies from soil sampling, gravity and induced polarisation surveys (IP) from about 560 metres below surface as well as the significant occurrence of pyrophyllite alteration exposed at surface were targeted under the drill program.
Barabolar is a quality exploration project located within the highly prospective Macquarie Arc that also hosts world-class mineral systems such as the Cadia-Ridgeway porphyry copper-gold deposit.