Elementos Ltd (ASX:ELT, OTC:ELTLF) has intersected additional tin mineralisation along with zinc and copper outside the mineral resource estimate area at its flagship Oropesa Tin Project in Spain.
The results confirm the continuity of tin mineralisation beyond Oropesa’s current resource and highlight the potential of recovering additional base metals which will be evaluated further.
Notably, the zinc and copper intersections highlight the potential to produce an additional base metal concentrate with notable results including:
- 7.6 metres at 0.21% tin and 0.62% zinc from 21.1 metres;
- 16.25 metres at 0.37% tin, 0.21% copper and 2.59% zinc from 123.8 metres;
- 6.6 metres at 0.63% tin, 0.20% copper and 1.64% zinc from 187 metres; and
- 13 metres at 0.42% tin, 0.13% copper and 1.96% zinc from 168.4 metres
Looking ahead, Elementos is completing an optimisation study due later this month for Oropesa as part of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) - which will determine the size and scale of the tin project, as well as serve as the basis for regulatory submissions.
“High prospectivity”
Ahead of releasing the optimisation study, Elementos managing director Joe David said the drilling program had further confirmed Oropesa’s high prospectivity for further mineralisation.
“These results indicate the merits of future exploration and drilling programs at Oropesa, particularly along strike to the northwest and southeast, which could expand the size of the current mineral resource estimate.
“Elementos’ geotechnical drilling and assessment was primarily designed to provide additional data for the company’s upcoming DFS mine design, including adding engineering confidence in the pit wall slope stability angles being used.
“However, the company always intended to assay these geotechnical holes for mineralisation due to the high potential for extensions to the known resource."
Forward plan
The Oropesa DFS is progressing well and the optimisation study is due later this month.
Applications for the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Exploitation (Mining) Licence are also in advance drafting status.
David adds: “The high-grade zinc, and to a lesser extent, copper intersections have also re-established the potential to produce a secondary sulphide concentrate at the project.
“The recovery of these minerals would be separate to the tin concentrate, diverted at the point of sulphide flotation, and would be produced in parallel to the unchanged tin concentrate flow sheet.
“The company plans to model the zinc and copper throughout the entire deposit and will then establish whether further metallurgical test-work programs are warranted.”