Eastern Metals Ltd (ASX:EMS) has unearthed what could be a high-grade zinc zone within the Browns Reef base metal deposit in New South Wales.
The company just concluded its initial drill program at the deposit, and mineralisation in all four drill holes extended the deposit’s lode along strike and at depth.
Ultimately, findings point to a high-grade zinc footprint — which Eastern is calling the Evergreen Zone — with elevated levels of lead, copper, gold and silver.
Follow-up diamond drilling is planned to extend the Evergreen Zone further along strike, and this program has already secured regulatory approval.
“An outstanding success”
Eastern Metals managing director and CEP Wayne Rossiter said: “This initial drilling campaign has been an outstanding success with high-grade mineralisation encountered in all holes over significant mineralised intervals.
“The Evergreen Zone lode has a current strike length of more than 100 metres and vertical depth of at least 300 metres and remains open along strike and at depth.
“Our next steps will be to drill further along strike and this program has received regulatory approval.”
Drilling at Browns Reef
Eastern Metals’ initial drill findings are thought to be the first stage of a high grade, zinc-dominated, polymetallic discovery at Browns Reef.
Best results include:
- 6 metres at 3.2% zinc, 1.3% lead, 0.12% copper, 8.6 g/t silver and 0.3 g/t gold from 453.5 metres;
- 13 metres at 5.4% zinc, 2.3% lead, 0.14% copper, 11.5 g/t silver and 0.9 g/t gold from 225 metres, including 2 metres at 14.6% zinc, 5.1% lead, 0.22% copper, 22.5 g/t silver and 0.5 g/t gold from 225 metres;
- 16 metres at 4.1% zinc, 1.6% lead, 0.33% copper, 27.5 g/t silver and 0.4 g/t gold from 251 metres, including 6 metres at 7.3% zinc, 2.3% lead, 0.58% copper, 47.7 g/t silver and 0.9 g/t gold from 251 metres; and
- 12.5 metres at 8.1% zinc, 2.6% lead, 0.10% copper, 17.3 g/t silver and 0.5 g/t gold from 269.5 metres, including 8.5 metres at 9.8% zinc, 2.7% lead, 0.12% copper, 22.9 g/t silver and 0.6 g/t gold from 269.5 metres;
- This included two significant copper-rich zones, which averaged 1.9% copper over 4 metres from 279 metres and 1.4% copper over 3 metres from 295 metres.
Next steps
Eastern Metals has planned a follow-up diamond drilling program to test for further extensions to the Evergreen Zone along strike to the north and south later this financial year.
The company has also designed a diamond drilling program to test Brown Reefs’ other high-grade footprint, the Southern High Grade Zone. This program will kick off when all necessary approvals are in place.
In addition, a rotary air blast drilling program has also been planned to test for geochemical anomalies over the western limb and other areas of the structure. There has been no previous deep drilling in this area, and very limited prior exploration.
