- 01New high-grade hits; system remains open.
- 02MRE: 32.7 Mt @0.16% SnEq; 36.8 kt Sn; 1.14 Mt WO3; 9.94 Moz Ag.
- 03PFS due later this month.
- 04Open zones hint at expansion.
High-grade intercepts returned from drilling at Sky Metals’ (ASX: SKY) Tallebung tin-silver-tungsten project in New South Wales have demonstrated potential to further expand a recently updated mineral resource estimate (MRE).
The new assays were received after the cut-off for the July update, which increased the project’s inventory to 32.7 million tonnes at 0.16% tin equivalent for 36,800 tonnes of contained tin, 1.14 million metric tonne units of contained tungsten trioxide, and 9.94 million ounces of contained silver.
The project’s resource now contains 58% more tin (126% more tin in Measured and Indicated resources), 163% more tungsten, and includes a maiden 9.94Moz silver resource.
A Tallebung pre-feasibility study remains on track for completion later this month, which the company regards as “a major milestone in advancing Tallebung toward development”.
Broader Mineralised System
Sky’s drilling showed that Tallebung remains open in all directions, suggesting the updated MRE may represent a portion of a broader mineralised system.
Drilling identified additional target areas for future resource growth with best assays of 29 metres at 0.31% tin and 0.04% tungsten from 27m including 2m at 1.62% tin, 0.08% tungsten and 47.8g/t silver from 59m, and 1m at 4.32% tungsten and 0.08% tin from 66m including 3m at 1.16% tin, 0.15% tungsten, and 10.6g/t silver from 75m.
These add to earlier assays that were also not included in the MRE update, such as 9m at 0.54% tin, 0.11% tungsten, and 205g/t silver from 67m including 1m at 2.45% tin and 0.88% tungsten from 75m, along with 14m at 0.58% tin and 0.04% tungsten from 1m including 2m at 0.94% tin and 0.04% tungsten from 1m.
Further drilling scheduled to commence in coming weeks will target additional resource growth and potential mine life extensions as Sky looks to advance Tallebung as a significant near-term Australian tin-tungsten-silver development project.
Enhancing the Resource
Sky chief executive officer Oliver Davies said the mineralised zones encountered in all holes, along with the high-grade tin and tungsten intervals, indicate that significant opportunities remain to expand and enhance the Tallebung resource.
“These latest results provide clear evidence that the updated MRE does not represent the limit of the Tallebung system, which remains open in several directions for further growth,” he said.
“All of the drilling reported in this announcement sits outside the MRE, highlighting an opportunity to grow the scale and quality of this deposit as we deliver the pre-feasibility study and move to the next stage of development.”
The company believes the discovery of new mineralised zones has the potential to contribute further tonnes and contained metal to future resource updates, while positively influencing mining inventory, mine scheduling flexibility, and overall project economics.
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