Venture Minerals Ltd (ASX:VMS, OTC:VTMLF) has appointed highly experienced mining engineer Glenn Van Vlemen to lead the Underground Feasibility Study for the Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten Project in Tasmania.
This study is well underway with a recently completed metallurgical drilling program at the project being the critical long-lead item.
New drilling at Mount Lindsay continues to deliver strong intersections whilst targeting high-grade zones within the existing Main Skarn deposit including 158.5 metres at 0.8% tin and 0.1% tungsten from 78 metres in ML344M and likewise within the No.2 Skarn deposit with 99 metres at 0.3% tungsten from 63 metres in ML347M.
Notably, the intersection in ML344M included a high-grade zone of 39 metres at 2.6% tin and 0.04% tungsten from 165 metres and 12 metres at 7.0% tin and 0.1% tungsten from 192 metres, whilst the intersection in ML347M included a high-grade zone of 21 metres at 1.2% tungsten from 87 metres.
With the metallurgical drill program now completed, Venture plans to ramp up exploration activities at Mount Lindsey, with drilling scheduled to test multiple high priority targets over the coming months.
“Significant milestone”
Commenting on the appointment, Venture managing director Andrew Radonjic said: “Venture is fortunate to have engaged a very experienced underground mining engineer who has worked in tin and is therefore well suited to run the updated Mount Lindsay Underground Feasibility Study.
“Glenn’s appointment has coincided with the completion of the metallurgical drill program, a significant milestone for the company as it moves through the study.
“The feasibility drilling at Mount Lindsay continues to deliver excellent tin and now tungsten intersections within the high-grade shoots of the Main Skarn and No.2 Skarn.
“Mount Lindsay clearly demonstrates the potential to be a vital source of EV metal and critical minerals for the world and can be developed in a net-zero emissions environment and is therefore an important part of the decarbonization of the global economy.
“The metallurgical drill program is now completed, and Venture looks forward to ramping up our exploration efforts with drilling scheduled to test multiple high priority targets over the coming months within Australia’s premier tin district in the Northwest of Tasmania.”
New appointments
Van Vlemen has significant expertise in mining and engineering with more than 30 years of Australian and international experience providing leadership across business assets around the world in challenging environments.
Notably, he has led the development and implementation of long-term business strategies for resource companies such as BHP Nickel, WMC Gold, Central Norseman Gold, Croesus Mining, Perilya, Munali Nickel and OceanaGold, and conducted numerous pre-development studies, and then implemented the development programs, for open pit and underground mines in various commodities, including tin and iron ore
The feasibility study team also welcomes the addition of Geoff Beros to act as a metallurgical consultant to Van Vlemen for the duration of the work program.
Beros was previously Venture’s manager of Metallurgy who ran the metallurgical part of the previously completed (2012) Mount Lindsay open-pit study.
He also commissioned the breakthrough test-work that led to the proposed changes to the flowsheet by using a less complex and coincidently lower cost combined gravity technique followed by electrostatic separation of the cassiterite (tin oxide - 79% tin) and scheelite (81% tungsten).
Drilling results
Venture has completed metallurgical drilling at the Mount Lindsay Project, on the No.2 Skarn’s high-grade Radford Shoot in addition to the Main Skarn’s high-grade MacDonald Shoot.
Intersections from ML344M in the Main Skarn include:
- 158.5 metres at 0.8% tin and 0.1% tungsten from 78 metres;
- 123 metres at 1.1% tin and 0.1% tungsten from 81 metres;
- 39 metres at 2.6% tin and 0.04% tungsten from 165 metres; and
- 12 metres at 7.0% tin and 0.1% tungsten from 192 metres.
Intersections from ML347M in the No.2 Skarn include:
- 99 metres at 0.3% tungsten from 63 metres; and
- 21 metres at 1.2% tungsten from 87 metres.
About Mount Lindsay
Mount Lindsay is already one of the largest undeveloped tin projects in the world, containing more than 80,000 tonnes of tin metal and, within the same mineralised body it also has a globally significant tungsten resource containing 3,200,000 MTU (metric tonne units) of tungsten.
More than 100,000 metres of diamond core drilling has been completed on the project predominately by Venture, which hosts a JORC compliant resource, 70% of which is in the measured and indicated categories.
Importantly, tin is an EV metal and with tungsten, are listed as critical minerals in Australia and numerous countries across the world.