Mineral and Financial Investments LTD (LON:MAFL) has set out plans for this year’s exploration programme on the Lagoa Salgada zinc and base metals project in Portugal.
The work will be undertaken as part of the earn-in commitments of Mineral and Financial’s joint venture partner, Ascendant Resources (TSE:ASND).
READ: “On the cusp of a world-class asset”: Mineral and Financial offers broad exposure to commodity markets, with particular upside from a growing zinc resource
Ascendant plans to spend US$5.2mln drilling just over 15,000 metres on Lagoa Salgada, more than double the amount that was drilled last year. Ascendant will also do an induced polarity survey, and undertake metallurgical work, with a view to producing a preliminary economic assessment.
The work programme comes in the wake of a resource update for Lagoa Salgada, which now boasts more than 20mln tonnes of ore, grading just over 7% zinc equivalent. Within that there’s 1.7mln tonnes in the indicated category, grading at over 11%.
Separately, Ascendant has revealed plans to provide for the funding of its Mochito project in Mexico via a streaming deal and secured debt, but without diluting shareholders.
Mineral and Financial owns 2.66% of Ascendant’s shares.