Stellar Resources Ltd (ASX:SRZ) continues to notch up strong tin results with potential to add to the indicated mineral resource at Severn, the largest deposit in the company’s flagship Heemskirk Tin Project in western Tasmania.
Results from a further two holes in a Phase 2B diamond drilling program at Severn have provided encouragement for an increase in the Heemskirk indicated resource of 2.6 million tonnes at 1.1% tin for 29,798 tonnes of contained tin.
Diamond drill results
Hole ZS157 in the Phase 2B program that is nearing completion returned a wide intercept of 25 metres at 0.40% tin from 508 metres in the main Severn ore zone.
A narrow intercept of 2.4 metres at 0.64% tin from 373.7 metres was returned from hole ZS158 in the main ore zone at the very southern margin of the current Severn mineral resource. This is in line with previous drilling in the area.
Resource continuation
Executive director Gary Fietz said: “The results from these two holes at Severn are expected to contribute to the Phase 2B drilling program objective of increasing the Severn indicated mineral resource.
"Hole ZS157 tests the southern margin of the current Severn mineral resource where a narrow intercept has been returned consistent with previous holes in the area and demonstrating continuation of the resource to the south.
"ZS158 has returned a wide intercept in the northern part of the Severn deposit correlating well with the mineral resource model and adjacent holes.
"The lower tin grade of the ZS157 intercept may be a result of localised grade variability within the deposit and/or the intercept being slightly south of the Severn north high tin grade-thickness zone.
"Results are pending for a further three holes completed at Severn and the final Phase 2B hole is underway. These results are also expected to contribute to increasing the Severn indicated mineral resource.”
Aim of Phase 2 program
The Phase 2B drilling program of eight diamond holes for 3,680 metres, which began on September 29, 2022, is focused on growing the Severn indicated mineral resource in wide high-grade areas of the deposit.
Drilling is nearing completion with a total of seven diamond holes for 3,390 metres completed as at April 21, 2023, and the eighth hole (ZS162) is underway.
The company is confident of further strong results with completed holes ZS159, ZS160 and ZS161 intersecting sulphide (pyrrhotite and pyrite) veining with the presence of tin confirmed by handheld XRF readings near expected positions.
Two of these holes, ZS160 and ZS161, also contained zones of semi-massive pyrite-pyrrhotite with cassiterite observed.
Assay results for ZS159 and ZS160 are pending while sampling of recently completed hole ZS161 is about to begin.
Resource update
Stellar says that the Phase 2B drill results be incorporated into an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) scheduled for mid-2023, building on the success of the November 24, 2022, MRE, that increased the Heemskirk Tin Project indicated resource by 24%.
An MRE update is expected to be undertaken in the middle of this year once all assays have been received.
The Phase 2B infill drilling results are also expected to support a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the Heemskirk Project that is planned for the second half of 2023.