Investigator Resources water monitoring studies playing a key role in Paris silver development

Investigator Resources (ASX: IVR) has hit another milestone at its proposed Paris silver project development in South Australia.

The company has confirmed it has completed drilling and inaugurated permanent bores for hydrological testing and groundwater modelling in the lead-up to the release of a mineral resource estimate (MRE) and definitive feasibility study (DFS).

Investigator considers the assessment of the availability and behaviour of proposed source of process plant water for the operation of the Paris silver project as essential to the viability of the project.

Assessing production capacity

The completed 10 test bores and three monitoring bores will be play an important role in assessing the production capacity of the ground water resources to support the Paris operations as well as predict the effect on the surrounding water table – a critical element in the advancement of the Paris silver project.

“The hydrological drilling recently completed at Paris has a twofold objective. Located in an arid environment, one of the key development aspects of the proposed project is the ability to confirm an adequate supply of water for operations. Secondly, we need to understand the extent and be- haviour of the water table around the proposed Paris open pit,” Investigator’s managing director Andrew McIlwain said.

“A series of pumping bores and adjacent monitoring holes have been drilled within, and around, the proposed Paris open pit, as well as at Hector – the previously identified potential source of process water – an area located approximately 10km to the east of Paris.”

“Analysis of the data and behaviour of these zones when tested will form a vital part of our planned submission to the state regulators for mining approvals, in addition to supporting our ongoing definitive feasibility study.”

Hydrological program targets

The new hydrological studies were designed to help identify the location and extent, as well as understanding the behaviour of the water table around the Paris pit are vital inputs to the final geotechnical assessment and pit design parameters.

It has also played a role in understanding the open pit stability.

Investigator will also utilise the Paris pit hydrology results in its estimation of what volume of process water supply can be delivered from the Paris pit dewatering.

The company has already established a number of bores to be utilised in longer-term monitoring of the water table as the open pit is developed.

Pump and recharge testing will be undertaken in second phase of the company’s hydrological investigation.

These tests will help determine porosity, draw-down, recharge and flow characteristics to include into hydrological modelling of the region as a water supply.

Exploration upside identified in recent results

In early May, the company unveiled impressive final assay results from an expanded 7,150m drill program at Paris, which will be included in current MRE studies.

A shallow high-grade deposit, the Paris silver project has a current JORC 2012 resource estimate of 18.8Mt at 88g/t silver and 0.52% lead for 53.1Moz silver and 97.6kt lead.

The large deposit has been identified as being amenable to open pit mining in robust pre-feasibility study (PFS) results released in November 2021.

Interestingly, the company identified potential value-adding lead intersections in recent drilling.

A reverse circulation (RC) drill program of approximately 4,800m commenced in late November 2022.

Due to initial success, the program was expanded to 7,150m in 37 holes including an additional line of holes 50m further south, extending potential for resource estimation over an additional 250m beyond the 2020 Paris resource definition drilling, along the southern strike extension of mineralisation.

Number of exploration initiatives

Located approximately 70km north of the rural township of Kimba on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, Investigator is continuing a number of exploration initiatives including assessment of the Uno Morgans project located approximately 80km east of the Paris silver project.

The company has further upside when it obtained access to the previously restricted area at the southern end of the Paris deposit following a review by the Traditional Owners of the land on which Paris is located.

Access to this area has enabled a drill program to test a potential 250m southern extension to the current resource.