Alta Zinc Ltd's (ASX:AZI) (FRA:8EE) drilling in the new Pian Bracca South area of Gorno Zinc Project in Italy has returned high-grade zinc and lead with silver - extending known mineralisation in the east and west of this new target zone.
One step-out hole intersected thick high-grade mineralisation, making an 80-metre extension southeast of the newly discovered Pian Bracca South zone.
This hole returned 10 metres at 8.8% zinc and 4.2% lead (12.9% zinc and lead) and 53 g/t silver from 32.4 metres, including 3.8 metres at 21.5% zinc and 10.8% lead (32.2% zinc and lead) and 135 g/t silver from 36.1 metres.
Another step-out hole confirmed a 100-metre extension to the west of the same Pian Bracca South zone, returning two intervals of high-grade mineralisation:
- 2.6 metres at 7.9% zinc and 2.1% lead (10.0% zinc and lead) and 13 g/t silver from 108.8 metres and;
- 0.7 metres at 36.1% zinc and 6.6% lead (42.7% zinc and lead) and 55 g/t silver from 133.3 metres with the high-grade mineralisation at the end of the hole (from 134 metres) truncated due to glacial erosion.
In addition, another hole intersected two intervals of mineralisation, including 5.1 metres at 11.8% zinc and 4.9% lead (16.7% zinc and lead) and 34 g/t silver from 105.5 metres.
“Stand-out target”
Alta Zinc managing director Geraint Harris said: “Our geology teams have successfully followed up on initial drill-hits and as a result have significantly extended the known mineralisation with holes on either end of the new Pian Bracca South corridor.
“This zone has now emerged as a wide-open stand-out target and will be drilled in parallel to our other new drilling area at Ponente, 1-kilometre to the northwest.
“The significant broadening of our exploration footprint highlights the many prospective new target areas which can immediately add to the current Zorzone mineral resource estimate and also those that are yet to be uncovered within the Gorno Zinc District.”
Drilling at Ponente
Alta is now drilling in two separate new areas of the Gorno Zinc District that are adjacent and in addition to the Zorzone resource.
These areas, Pian Bracca South and Ponente (1-kilometre to the NW of Pian Bracca South), host very similar mineralisation styles to that drilled in the Pian Bracca Central corridor.
Ponente drilling will progress from west to east towards Pian Bracca with the company aiming to define a broader horizon of mineralisation than has been drill-tested so far.
The initial program is for 1,000 metres of 25 short, efficient drill holes.
First results from Ponente are expected from the end of March and will be reported in addition to the ongoing results from Pian Bracca South.