Alien Metals has begun drilling on the high-grade silver and copper-gold projects in Zacatecas, Mexico.
The drilling at the San Celso and Los Campos Silver Projects will focus on mineralised vein systems that have previously been mined for high-grade silver, with head grades of over 1,000 grammes per tonne silver previously reported.
The first holes will be drilled at the San Celso Silver Project.
For both sites, a detailed grid drilling programme is being planned to allow for future resource estimations, whereas these initial drill programmes are based on wide-spaced holes within the more detailed grids to determine initial mineralisation thickness, grade, and continuity.
Instead of merely testing one of the two very promising technologies at the outset, Alien Metal may test both projects cost-effectively as a first phase to aid next-stage planning and targeting based on the results.
Alien Metals is also drilling at the Donovan 2 Cu-Au Project, in addition to the high-grade silver projects.
Drilling at Donovan 2 will focus on a potentially large copper zone that has been linked to a 3.34% Cu sample retrieved from a Los Alamos water well. The company assessed the tests to be insufficient and will redo them.
An examination of the Donovan 2 drill core revealed a previously unknown zone of interest from drill hole DON21-003, which intersected an 11.5m zone of intense alteration with average Zn and Pb values of 0.4% each, at just 12.4m depth.
A study of hole DON21-001, which was the closest hole drilled to the Los Alamos target, revealed some excellent alteration, giving the researchers hope for future drilling.
Bill Brodie Good, CEO and Technical Director, Alien Metals, commented, “After a Covid-induced delay of two years, we are finally commencing the next round of exploration on our highly prospective Mexican assets.”
“Personally, I am very excited to be here in person to witness the start of a long-awaited maiden drilling programme. Over the last two years, the local team has worked very hard under difficult conditions to manage the programme and advance it to this stage.”
“We are also very pleased to be able to bring a local undergraduate into our team and provide some hands-on training and support her education costs. The drillers engaged are highly recommended by Mexico’s Environmental Agency for their quality of work, so it is a pleasure to be working with them.”
Alien Metals shares dropped 5.7% to 0.83p despite commencement of drilling in Mexico for high-grade silver and copper-gold.