Variscan Mines Limited (ASX:VAR) has identified a 1.35 km long geochemical zinc anomaly in new infill soil sampling results conducted on prospects within the Buenahora licence area of the Novales-Udias Project in Cantabria, northern Spain.
Managing Director and CEO, Stewart Dickson, said the company analysed a total of 379 samples from four separate prospects, all indicating the surficial extent of in-situ high-grade stratiform mineralisation.
Once again, Variscan has delivered another set of high-grade results through our step-wise approach to exploration at the Novales-Udias project,” Mr Dickson said,
“The project has consistently demonstrated its quality and evidence of high-grade potential over substantially sized areas.
“It is clear that the southwest of the Buenahora licence is a very high priority area and a must for future drilling.”
The soil geochemistry campaign in this area has delineated an extensive anomaly spanning between west of Jusfreno, Magdalena and Sinforosa with a 1.35km length and width of 0.65km. This large anomaly links broadly with historical (AZSA) soil sampling at Esmeralda, Motilos and Pepita, which combined spans 2.5km in length by 1km in width to provide an encouragingly sized target for additional exploration.
The highest-grade samples above 2% Zn are concentrated at the base of the Reocín formation and covers an area of 0.5km by 0.28km, these values are considered very high for soil samples and this zone presents a very promising area for drill target generation to confirm the extent of mineralisation at depth.
The soil sampling programme conducted by Variscan has supplemented historical soil geochemistry from AZSA (1980s) and delineated anomalies surrounding prospects in the south west of the Buenahora exploration permit that have been tested previously with rock grab and rock chip sampling.
The area covered by these new soil samples extends 1.65km in length by 0.7km width and includes a total of 379 samples.
The sample spread encompasses four separate prospects, including Pozo Plomo, Jusfreno, Sinforosa and Magdalena that has been previously demonstrated as highly prospective for zinc and lead.
The company is progressing its work-plan for H2 2020 to execute the two-fold opportunity that the Novales-Udias project presents:
- Seek near term zinc production opportunities at the San Jose-Novales Mine
- Strategy to define a regionally significant mineral resource over the Buenahora licence akin to the former producing and proximal Reocín Mine
