Cornish Metals discovers new tin mineralisation near South Crofty
South Crofty developer Cornish Metals has reported results from the first six drill holes of the company’s ongoing Carn Brea drill programme, which identify new mineralised structures beneath the historically mined Great Flat Lode.
All six drill holes at the Carn Brea South exploration area, located along the southern boundary of the South Crofty underground mine permission area, intersected the Wide Formation lode structure and identified new high-grade, steeply dipping tin-mineralised structures between the overlying Great Flat Lode and the underlying Wide Formation. The drilling also identified the Great Flat Lode Splay, an underlying offshoot of the Great Flat Lode.
Highlights from the drill results include 1.21 m at 0.87% Sn and 1.90 m at 0.83% Sn in the Wide Formation (CB23_004 & CB23_006), and 3.38m at 1.01% Sn and 1.00 m at 1.56% Sn in the newly identified Great Flat Lode Splay (CB23_002 & CB23_004).
These results confirm the Wide Formation exploration model for a parallel tin mineralised structure at the expected depths beneath the Great Flat Lode. The extent of the Wide Formation has now been confirmed over a strike length of 1.6 km and a downdip extent of at least 525 m, with thicknesses ranging from 1.8 m to 4.8 m. Characterized by strong tourmaline alteration, it displays variable tin mineralisation as disseminated cassiterite. The geology at the Carn Brea South exploration area is identical to that at South Crofty, with the metasediments crosscut by blue tourmaline-quartz veins.
Within the steeply dipping mineralised zones between the lodes, drilling intersected 0.30 m at 7.48% Sn (CB23_001), 3.09 m at 1.21% Sn (CB23_004), 1.21 m at 1.83% Sn (CB23_004), 3.06 m at 0.93% (CB23_005), and 1.17 m at 0.62% Sn (CB23_006).
CEO and Cornish Metals Director Richard Williams commented: “These results confirm Cornish Metals’ model that the Wide Formation represents a new, large-scale, tin-bearing exploration target lying beneath the historically mined Great Flat Lode. The discovery of additional mineralised structures above and below the Wide Formation is a bonus.”
The Great Flat Lode Splay represents a previously unrecognized splay structure at less than 280 m depth, immediately beneath the Great Flat Lode. Ranging in thickness up to 9 m, this mineralised lode has been highlighted by Cornish Metals as an important new exploration target.
The company outlined the next stages to constrain the location, orientation, true thickness, and extent of these discoveries. A further eight drill holes are planned, testing the 2.5 km strike length of the Wide Formation.
Cornish Metals will be pleased with these very positive results, which demonstrate the exploration potential around South Crofty. These initial results from the ongoing 14-hole, 9,000 m Wide Formation exploration drill programme are a strong start to a crucial year for Cornish Metals as the company advances the project toward a Feasibility Study and a Preliminary Economic Assessment.
