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Alicanto Minerals tastes success in first two drill holes at historic high-grade Sala Silver Mine in Sweden

Published: 11:47 07 Jul 2021 AEST

Alicanto Minerals -
A zone of semi massive sphalerite in drill hole SAL21-01.

Alicanto Minerals Ltd (ASX:AQI) has tasted success in its first two drill holes at the high-grade Sala Silver Mine in Sweden with visible silver, lead and zinc intersected during step-out drilling.

The fully-funded 3,000-metre initial drilling program targeted the Prince lode, a significant target that has not been previously drilled.

Intervals of mineralisation have been intersected in both holes, totalling 33.8 metres in SAL21-01 and 32.02 metres in Sal21-02, with the zones having similar mineralisation characteristics to those seen within the historic Sala mine.

Progressing third hole

Alicanto managing director Peter George said the company was pleased with the progress of the first drilling and the significant intervals of sulphide and native silver interested.

He said: “In the meantime, drilling is continuing to progress with a third hole underway and an additional drill rig secured and commencing drilling in the middle of the month.

“Drill core has been processed and we are awaiting assays to report to the market as soon as these become available.”

Assays pending

The two drill holes intersected multiple zones of galena-sphalerite as both massive sulphide veins and semi-massive sulphide mineralisation.

Assay results are pending and are expected within the next four to six weeks.

Down hole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys of the Alicanto drilling were also successful in identifying multiple in-and off hole conductors and generating additional drill targets.

Initial testing showed good response to the silver-galena-sphalerite, Sala-style of mineralisation encountered in both drill holes.

Renowned for exceptionally high silver grades

Sala, around 100 kilometres from Alicanto’s Greater Falun copper-gold project and 50 kilometres from Boliden’s operating Garpenberg Mine, was once Europe's largest silver producer.

Renowned internationally for exceptionally high silver grades, the historic Sala Silver-Lead-Zinc Mine produced more than 200 million ounces of silver at an estimated grade of 1,244 g/t with local grades reported as high as 7,000 g/t.

Historic mining operations ceased in 1908 and very little drilling has been completed at the project.

The mine also produced over lead at average grades of between 1 and 2% lead and 12% zinc.

Very little modern exploration has been conducted at all at Sala with only a handful of drill holes in the database. The production was entirely sourced by following the main lode down plunge underground.

Plan going forward

Alicanto is undertaking the first modern drilling into the Greater Falun Copper-Gold Project and the Sala Silver-Lead-Zinc Project.

Assays for these holes are expected to be received this quarter.

There is currently a single diamond rig operating on double shift targeting further extensions at the Prince Lode with a second diamond rig commencing in coming weeks.

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