Polymetals Resources targets early 2025 cash flow with high-grade Endeavor intercepts
Polymetals Resources (ASX: POL) has obtained what it describes as “exceptional” silver and gold intercepts from new drilling at its Endeavor mine in Cobar, New South Wales.
Highlights from geotechnical drilling of Endeavor’s high-grade Upper North Lode (UNL) include 67.1 metres at 517 grams per tonne silver equivalent and 45m at 2.01g/t gold.
The results were obtained in a program aimed at delivering increased tonnages in shorter timeframes for greater revenue from the UNL.
Optimised mine plan
The company’s optimised mine plan released in August 2024 demonstrated that the mine will produce 260,000t of payable zinc, 90,000t of lead and 10.6 million ounces of silver, generating $1.85 billion in revenue over an initial ten-year Stage 1 mine life.
Executive chair Dave Sproule said Endeavor is on track to be restarted, with first cash flows expected in H1 2025.
“The competency of the UNL mineralisation demonstrated by the geotechnical drilling provides us with a great deal of encouragement that the mining rate and extracted volume of the main high-grade area may be increased beyond that currently modelled.”
“This would deliver a significant increase in revenue earlier, de-risking the operation during its first year.”
Gold upside
Mr Sproule said that, while gold revenues have not been included in the mine plan, the approximately 13,000oz hosted within the UNL represent another potential significant source of revenue during the early stages of the project.
The company is currently undertaking gold recovery test work alongside silver, lead and zinc flotation optimisation studies.
“As momentum builds with the recent recommencement of refurbishment works, continued recruitment of operational staff and the imminent drawdown of project funding, we are very much looking forward to generating first concentrates and cash flow during H1 2025,” Mr Sproule added.
DD program
Polymetals recently completed a program of five diamond drill (DD) holes targeting the UNL, with drill core from the campaign to be used for further metallurgical test work aiming to optimise process metal recoveries, including the potential recovery of gold.
Geotechnical drilling shows that the majority of the UNL is likely to be sufficiently competent for lower-cost and more rapid small open stoping and backfilling as the mining method.
Endeavor was in continuous operation from 1982 to 2020, producing 32Mt at 8.01% zinc, 5.04% lead and 89.4 g/t silver.
The project – which Polymetals acquired in 2023 – is the second-largest mine in the Cobar Basin, Australia’s richest polymetallic region.