Azure Minerals Ltd has announced that additional near-surface, high-grade zinc and lead drill results have extended the mineralisation previously reported on its flagship Oposura project, located in the northern Mexican state of Sonora.
Azure’s Managing Director, Tony Rovira, said: “The latest results from the Oposura east zone continue to be encouraging, with high grade zinc and lead mineralisation being consistently intersected, confirming the continuity of the near-to-surface, massive sulphide mineralised horizon. While drilling initially focused on the east zone, drilling is now being conducted concurrently in both the east and west zones, and results continue to be regularly received. The resource drill-out is proceeding smoothly and is on time to be completed in February, enabling a maiden mineral resource estimate to be released by April 2018. Further drilling to test possible resource extensions and additional exploration potential is in planning.”
Drilling details
By the conclusion of 2017, Azure’s first drilling campaign at Oposura had completed 72 diamond drill holes for 4424 m, the majority of which were focused on the Oposura east zone. Following the end-of-year break, drilling has recommenced and is now being undertaken concurrently on both the east and west zones; further results are expected to be reported shortly.
The latest round of drill results has extended the high-grade mineralised zone to the south and west of previously reported near-surface, high-grade mineralisation in the east zone. Drill hole OPDH-008 intersected 16.62 m at 14.09% Zn and 7.95% Pb including 9.32 m at 23.89% Zn and 13.03% Pb. Drill holes OPDH-036, OPDH-023 and OPDH-026 have extended this flatlying, near-surface, high-grade mineralisation approximately 100 m to the south of drill hole OPDH-008. Mineralised intervals include:
- OPDH-036: 2.05m at 21.33% Zn and 21.23% Pb from 37.5 m
- OPDH-023: 2.90m at 9.68% Zn and 6.45% Pb from 18.9 m
- OPDH-026: 2.15m at 8.73% Zn and 5.47% Pb from 15.2 m
Mineralisation remains open to the south and west of OPDH-036, OPDH-023 and OPDH-026 and further drilling is planned for this area.
OPDH-027, which tested a part of the east zone where no historical drilling occurred, intersected flat-lying, high-grade mineralisation including an interval of 2.65 m at 9.53% Zn and 0.87 % Pb from 80.10 m downhole. This mineralisation is located approximately 20 m to the north of and at the same level as the massive sulphide zone observed in the historical Tunnel D, confirming continuity of mineralisation in this area.
Most of Azure’s holes along the eastern part of the deposit have intersected fresh, unoxidised, massive sulphides within 10 m of the surface. This is consistent with sampling of near-surface mineralisation in the historical underground workings and augurs well for an initial open pit mining operation in this area.
More than 100 diamond core holes were drilled by previous explorers at Oposura, with the majority intersecting significant zinc and lead mineralisation. Azure’s resource drill-out coincides with the previously drilled mineralised zone, and many of the company’s holes are either ‘twinning’ or are being drilled close to historical holes.