Drilling commences at Kalayi following Rome Resources takeover
Tin explorer Rome Resources, which was recently acquired by UK-based Pathfinder Minerals, has announced it has commenced diamond drilling at its Kalayi prospect in North Kivu, DR Congo.
Kalayi, which together with the Mont Agoma prospect, forms the company’s Bisie North project which immediately neighbours Alphamin Resources’ Bisie mine. Drilling of the first diamond drill hole has begun, whilst two additional rigs will be mobilised to additional targets at Kalayi and Mont Agoma.
The drilling forms part of a larger campaign of 12 diamond drill holes testing mineralisation at two levels 50 m apart over 700 m of the main tin-in-soil anomaly discovered at Bisie North. Results from the drilling are expected by the end of 2024.
A previous drilling campaign included intercepts of 2.5 m at 2.6% Sn from 79.0 m, 12.5 m at 1.05% Sn from 40.5 m, and 3.0 m at 1.92% Sn from 70.0 m. The first hole commenced in this new campaign is targeting the tin zone below the latter intercept. During clearing for the first drill pad of this campaign, a narrow cassiterite vein was exposed, which the company states is confirmation mineralisation is open to the northwest.
Referencing Rome Resources’ admission to the London Stock Exchange AIM in July, Paul Barrett, Rome Resources CEO, commented the company is “extremely pleased to have reached this milestone so soon after admission”. Mr Barrett also highlighted the deposit appears to have “striking similarities with Alphamin’s nearby Mpama South Mine, where tin grades increase with depth.”
In late 2023, AIM-listed Pathfinder Minerals initiated a reverse takeover of Rome Resources alongside a loan of up to C$2.5 million, which resulted in the new company re-listing on AIM on completion of the transaction in July.
The company will be pleased to make rapid progress with exploration activities at Bisie North. Given the proximity to Alphamin’s Bisie and positive drilling results reported in late 2023, we look forward to the results of this latest campaign.
