Variscan has commenced a second phase of diamond drilling that targets new and existing trends and extensions at its San Jose zinc-lead mine in Spain.

This includes step-out trends which extend over 500m from the mine that were identified following recent drilling and structural geological fieldwork.

Variscan Mines’ (ASX:VAR) drilling will test vertical and lateral extensions of existing mineralisation, discover new lower-lying lenses and infill drilling within identified mineralised lenses.

“The phase 2 underground drill campaign, to be undertaken by Spanish contractor Sondeos y Perforaciones Industriales de Bierzo SA, is aiming to build on the outstanding results we reported from the San Jose Mine in the second quarter of calendar 2021,” managing director Stewart Dickson says.

“We are confident that the drill targets provide multiple opportunities for further discoveries of new mineralised lenses and trends adjacent to and along strike.

“In particular the discovery of a number of small mine workings and access points stepping out from the mine is very encouraging. They are a useful vector for further exploration and suggest additional scale potential. “

New targets

Recent fieldwork identified several small mine workings and access points surrounding the San Jose Mine that appear to be new step-out mineral trends and extensions.

The company’s preliminary work indicated that despite visual confirmation of high-grade mineralisation, these shallow workings are under-exploited and not drill-tested.

Importantly, they are assessed to be part of the same mineralised system that hosts the San Jose mine, providing a strong indication that it extends well beyond the existing mine stopes.

Initial drilling in the program will also follow-up on recent intersections such as 7m at 6.44% zinc and 4m at 5.72% zinc below the main gallery level that resulted in the identification of a +180m extension of on-trend strike.

Drilling earlier this year also confirmed the presence of mineralised lenses above the main gallery level after returning results such as 9m at 8.45% zinc and 5m at 5.12% zinc.

The company noted that these discoveries justified the infill drilling that is currently underway.

Another high priority target is the La Caseta Trend, a new +400m laterally extensive mineralised lens below the main gallery level that was identified by drilling returning results including 16.9m at 12.5% zinc, 23m at 11.51% zinc and 18m at 9.87% zinc.

Further activity

Besides the underground drilling, Variscan plans to carry out a geophysical survey of surface drill targets and deliver a pending surface drilling application over the Buenahora licence area.

It is also planning a surface drilling campaign to test step out extensions in the vicinity of the San Jose Mine.

Assays are also pending from sampling of drill targets over the Guajaraz Project in Castilla La Mancha.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Variscan Mines, 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.

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