RNS Number:9301O
Tertiary Minerals PLC
3 August 2000
Tertiary Minerals Plc
TERTIARY REAPS BENEFIT WORTH #700,000 FROM ARCHIVE OF
DRILL CORE FROM OLD BOLIDEN PROPERTY IN SWEDEN
- New Information Will Significantly Advance Understanding
Of Windfall Property
- Preliminary Evaluation Of Core To Be Completed By End-
August
- New Geochemical Exploration Technique Being Introduced
AIM-listed Tertiary Minerals Plc, which is seeking base and
precious metals in Sweden, has gained access to over 14,000m of
drill core which significantly advances the exploration and
evaluation status of its Windfall zinc-silver property in the
historic Bergslagen mining district. The archive of core was
assembled by former permit holder Boliden Mining from 105
diamond drill holes completed in the 1980s. The cost of
completing such a programme today would be around #700,000,
says Tertiary chairman Mr Patrick Cheetham.
"This is an important development for Tertiary as it will
enable the company to advance its understanding of the known
mineralisation as well as its exploration and development
potential. It will reduce the amount of check drilling that
the company would otherwise need to carry out and result in
substantial future cost savings."
The company expects to complete a preliminary evaluation of the
drill core by the end of August and comprehensive re-logging
and sampling of the core is expected to follow.
Boliden's Windfall drilling programmes focused on two main
zones of mineralisation - Vindfall and Sortarnan - which are
approximately 1.5km apart along strike from each other on the
same mineralised horizon. This drilling was, at least in part,
the basis for a reported 360,000t of near surface
mineralisation in the two deposits averaging 7.3p.c. zinc,
2.8p.c. lead and 82g/t silver. Subsequent drilling by Tertiary
has demonstrated the potential to extend this mineralisation
and for higher grade mineralisation.
Meanwhile, Tertiary is introducing a proprietary geochemical
sampling technique to "see through" the transported glacial
overburden which covers its Windfall property. The Mobile
Metal Ion (MMI) technique is being applied over a 4km strike
length of the geological formation hosting the Vindfall and
Sortarnan zones of mineralisation.
The MMI technique is able to detect subtle geochemical
anomalies formed relatively recently (in geological terms) by
water-transported, loosely-bonded metal ions in the soil. It
was developed in Australia for application in the country's
extensive leached terrains where earlier "primary" anomalies
have been leached away. MMI anomalies are formed in surface
soils directly overlying bedrock mineralisation.
In countries which are blanketed by ice-transported "till"
overburden, such as Sweden, the underlying mineralisation is
effectively hidden by glacial material deposited in the last
ice-age. Since this glacial material may have been transported
considerable distances, geochemical "till" anomalies do not
necessarily lie directly above the source of mineralisation.
Traditional surface till sampling techniques in such areas
therefore rely on interpretation of sometimes complex ice
movements to trace "till" anomalies back to the source of
mineralisation. Since the MMI anomalies lie directly above
bedrock mineralisation, it is a valuable exploration "tool" in
such areas.
The objective of the MMI survey is to test for strike
extensions and define further drilling targets. Results are
expected to be available within six weeks. "By the time the
MMI survey results are available we expect to have completed a
preliminary review of the Boliden drill core archive. We then
expect to start the exploration drills turning again", says Mr
Cheetham.
Further Information:
Patrick Cheetham
Tertiary Minerals plc 01625 626203
Ron Marshman
City of London PR Group 020 7628 5518
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