By: African Mining

Tertiary Minerals Plc have confirmed the start of drilling at its Target A1 silver oxide discovery, Mushima North Project in Zambia. Mushima North is in the prospective Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold region of Zambia and Target A1 is located 28km to the east of the historic Kalengwa Copper (-Silver) Mine, which is currently under redevelopment.

Richard Belcher, managing director of Tertiary Minerals Plc, said that as a company they were excited to be drilling at Target A1. Currently, they have a JORC exploration target of up to 58Moz silver equivalent.

“This is the largest planned drill programme by the company in Zambia to date to not only support the definition of a mineral resource estimate at Target A1, but also test possible extensions of the mineralisation,” said Belcher.

“Drilling is now underway and we are undertaking preliminary analysis of the drill chip samples on-site with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence analyser before submission of selected samples to an external laboratory for independent analysis. Sample batches will be submitted to the external laboratory regularly, with the first batch planned in the next week. I look forward to providing further updates as the drill programme continues,” he added.

A programme of approximately 4 000m Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling is planned as a series

of east-west drill lines spaced approximately 100m apart (north-south). Holes will be collared

approximately 50m apart along the east-west lines and drilled to a vertical depth of up to

approximately 125m (estimated maximum depth capability of the drill rig). 

The drill programme at Target A1 is designed to:

• Infill the oxide zone to provide a sufficient density of drilling to confirm the continuity of the mineralisation and enable the delineation of a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate to JORC standards.
• Test mineralisation extensions to the northwest, southwest and at depth within the oxide zone to potentially increase the tonnage and contained ounces.
• Test the current model for additional mineralisation in the west of Target A1 and at Target
  A2.

The programme is being conducted by Ox Drilling, which also completed the initial drill

programmes on the project and it is expected to take about 6–12 weeks to complete. Samples will be initially analysed on site using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) analyser for copper and zinc.

Selected mineralised intervals will also be submitted for external assaying at a certified laboratory for a suite of elements, including silver, copper, zinc, bismuth, antimony and gallium. These will be submitted in regular batches throughout the drill programme, with the first results expected approximately 6–8 weeks after the initial batch is submitted.

About:

The Mushima North Copper Project is held through Group company Copernicus Minerals Limited, which is 90% owned by Tertiary Minerals (Zambia) Limited and 10% by local partner, Mwashia Resources Limited. 

The Project is under a technical co-operation agreement with First Quantum Minerals Limited

(FQM), which allows Tertiary to benefit from FQM’s historic exploration data in the area, as well

as FQM’s geological team’s extensive experience and understanding of the area’s geology.