41pc zinc hit adds more shine to Alicanto’s Sala project

Alicanto’s upcoming maiden resource estimate for the Sala silver-lead-zinc project in Sweden is looking very promising if the latest drill results are any indication.

Results of up to 663 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 41% zinc are just the pointy end of exceptional zinc-silver assays from multiple stacked lodes that follow the previous round of bonanza-grade results.

Alicanto Minerals (ASX:AQI) is particularly enamoured with the high-grade zinc intersections as they complement the potential of the lead and silver at Sala while taking advantage of the mining infrastructure, which would be required to mine the silver.

It added that the zinc grades are analogous with those seen at world-class silver-lead-zinc systems, including Boliden’s nearby Garpenberg mine that is just 50km from Sala.

“These exceptional massive sulphide zinc intersections strongly complement the silver and lead at Sala – this is a key characteristic of some of the leading polymetallic silver-lead-zinc mines around the world,” managing director Peter George said.

“The Sala mine produced over 200Moz of silver from 5Mt of ore down to the relatively shallow depth of 290m – there is a lot of potential left in this amazing asset.”

He added that there is now a strong pattern of exceptional drill results at the project while the company is on track to deliver a maiden JORC resource within months.

Drilling is also ongoing with two diamond rigs operating as part of the fully funded 14,000m program that will underpin the resource estimate.

This will be followed by step-out drilling targeting rapid resource growth and further discoveries.

Sala drilling

The latest results from drilling at Sala include 1m grading 663g/t silver, 5.8% zinc and 6.7% lead within a broader 3.9m intersection at 313g/t silver, 3.2% lead and 9.6% zinc along with 1.1m at 41% zinc and 17g/t silver in a 30m zone at 30g/t silver and 7.6% zinc.

Observations from drilling at Sala have identified two distinct mineralogies associated with the main lodes, with semi massive sphalerite dominant zones and zones of silver-bearing galena with, to a lesser extent, native silver.

Both styles of mineralisation observed through the drilling targeting the 250m wide Prince Lode system are present within the Sala Mine although the silver-rich ore was the main focus of historical mining

Alicanto adds that results have been received for six holes to date while a further three holes are currently in progress.

Drilling is also expected to accelerate in the coming weeks with a third rig awaiting drill crews before starting operations.

This article was developed in collaboration with Alicanto Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.