Mushima North - delineation of higher-grade zone
Tertiary Minerals PLC has announced significant drill results from its Mushima North Project in Zambia, outlining a high-grade silver-copper-zinc zone at Target A1's Discovery Zone, with intersections such as 52m at 99g/t silver, 0.41% copper, and 0.43% zinc. The mineralisation remains open at depth and beyond the previously defined Exploration Target, which ranges from 15-30 million tonnes at 40-60 g/t silver equivalent. Additionally, a new shallow copper discovery was made in the Western Zone, with initial results including 25m at 0.38% copper. The company also noted potential for critical minerals like bismuth, antimony, and cobalt. A Mineral Resource Estimate is anticipated before year-end, with further laboratory results expected in the coming weeks.
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High-grade zone outlined at the Discovery Zone on Target A1, Mushima North: Drill results show continuation of mineralisation beyond the Exploration Target boundary
Tertiary Minerals plc (AIM: TYM) is pleased to provide further details on the emerging higher-grade silver-copper-zinc zone following the recent reporting of laboratory analytical results from the Phase 4 drill programme at Target A1, Mushima North Project in Zambia (“Mushima North” or the “Project”). To date results have been released from 29 holes of the 39-hole (3,639m) programme with results from a further 8 holes awaited (2 holes not yet submitted).
Target A1 is a polymetallic, silver-copper-zinc prospect, where the Company has previously reported a near-surface Exploration Target range of 15-30 million tonnes at 40-60 g/t silver equivalent.
Mushima North is located in the prospective Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold region of Zambia and is located 28km to the east of the historic Kalengwa copper-silver mine which is currently under redevelopment.
Highlights:
Discovery Zone
Delineation of the higher-grade shallow mineralised zone approximately 400m long by 150m wide, striking northwest, with drill intersections including (downhole widths, true widths unknown):
52m at 99g/t Ag, 0.41% Cu and 0.43% Zn (130 g/t Ag equivalent) from 39m downhole (26TMNRC-053).
22m at 90 g/t Ag, 0.13% Cu and 0.44% Zn (105 g/t Ag equivalent) from 64m downhole (26TMNRC-054)
12m at 80 g/t Ag, 0.21% Cu and 0.67% Zn (104 g/t Ag equivalent) from 35m downhole (26TMNRC-058).
11m at 97 g/t Ag, 0.07% Cu and 0.54% Zn (110 g/t Ag equivalent) from 43m downhole (26TMNRC-058)
The Discovery Zone, along with the higher-grade zone, remains open and at depth, with numerous holes ending in mineralisation, extending beyond the Exploration Target boundary which is 500m long, 350m and 75m thick.
Silver-copper-zinc mineralisation occurs across the transition zone into fresh rock at depth, where it is associated with disseminated sulphides observed in drill chips.
Greater than 1% copper intersections, with drill intersections including (downhole widths, true widths unknown):
10m at 1.01% Cu, 165 g/t Ag, and 0.78% Zn (238 g/t Ag equivalent or 3.97% Cu equivalent) from 80m downhole (26TMNRC-053).
5m at 1.01% Cu, 164 g/t Ag, and 0.15% Zn (227 g/t Ag equivalent or 3.79% Cu equivalent) from 101m downhole (26TMNRC-063).
Potential for critical minerals not evaluated, but assays of up to 0.53% bismuth, 0.22% antimony and 0.39% cobalt returned from certified laboratory analytical results.
Western Zone
New shallow copper discovery made in the Western Zone, approximately 900m west-southwest of the Discovery Zone. With initial pXRF results including:
25m at 0.38% Cu from 19m downhole (26TMNRC-076).
26m at 0.13% Cu from 23m downhole (26TMNRC-075).
Milestones
Additional laboratory analytical results are expected in the coming weeks.
Initial metallurgical testwork is expected in the coming months.
Mineral Resource Estimate is expected before the end of the year.
Drill results provide increased confidence in the exploration strategy and the wider potential for Target A1 and nearby surrounding drill-ready targets.
Richard Belcher, Managing Director of Tertiary Minerals plc, commented:
“We are delighted with the analytical results received to date from our recent Phase 4 drill programme which have allowed us to delineate a substantial higher-grade mineralised zone within the current Exploration Target. Notably, the mineralisation within the higher-grade zone remains open at depth, with numerous holes ending in mineralisation beyond the current modelled Exploration Target boundary.
“Significantly, in several holes the mineralisation transitions from the oxide zone into fresher rock where visible disseminated sulphide mineralisation is also observed in the drill chips. While this is not conclusive evidence for the continuation of the oxide mineralisation into a deeper primarily sulphide deposit, that is our working model and it is a compelling target that supports the need for deeper diamond drilling underneath the near-surface oxide mineralisation.
“With the Discovery Zone continuing to deliver thick intervals of oxide mineralisation and the possible depth continuation, along with the new shallow, copper mineralisation discovered at the Western Zone, then Target A1 clearly has a lot more to deliver. Add this to multiple drill-ready targets within 15km of Target A1 yet to be evaluated fully, the Mushima North Project is becoming an incredibly exciting project.
“Additional laboratory results are expected for the remaining holes over the coming weeks and we look forward to updating our shareholders in due course”.
Drill Programme and Results
A total of 39 (3,639m) Reverse Circulation (“RC”) drill holes were drilled as part of the Phase 4 drill programme. For the drilling at the Discovery Zone, holes were collared along a series of east-west drill lines spaced approximately 100m apart (north-south) and 50m apart along the east-west lines and drilled to vertical depths of up to 128m. This was the maximum depth capability of the drill rig under the drilling conditions, in particular the higher-than-expected water table and resultant wet samples. Drilling was completed in two passes to allow the updating of the Company’s geological model as new data became available and enable the programme to be more dynamic.
Further information on the drill programme can be found in the Company’s announcement on 8 June 2026.
The results from a total of 29 holes have now been released from the across the Exploration Target (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4) and include infill holes to increase confidence in the continuity of the mineralisation to the level required to report a Mineral Resource Estimate, testing of the Exploration Target mineralisation margin to potentially expand the footprint, and also targeting of the higher-grade mineralisation zone.
Accessory minerals such as bismuth, antimony and cobalt have also been intersected in these holes as well as being present in holes in previous drill phases. While the potential for these metals has yet to be evaluated, they are classified as critical, and, in some cases, strategic, raw materials (e.g. by the European Commission). If it’s economically feasible to extract these accessory minerals along with the main silver-copper mineralisation, there could be a positive impact on future Project economics.
Table 1. Phase 4 drill programme analytical results so far (29 holes). Equivalent grades (“Eq”) are for illustrative purposes only.
Note to Table:
Calculated intersections (downhole, true widths unknown) are weighted averages based on silver or copper (denoted in table by metal in bold). Using a cut-off grade of 10 g/t Ag or 0.1% Cu, respectively. Intervals start and end with ≥10 g/t Ag or 0.15 Cu, respectively and with up to 3m consecutive internal dilution allowed.
Silver values rounded to whole numbers.
EOH means End of Hole.
CuEq (%) and AgEq (g/t) are the copper and silver equivalent grades, respectively, and were calculated assuming commodity prices of Cu: US$4.99 lb, Ag: US$57 oz, Zn: US$1.38 lb and 100% recovery as used in reporting of previous results from Phase 2 and 3 drill programmes. No information on beneficiation recoveries is available at this stage. These are for illustrative purposes only.
Gram metres for silver are the silver values (g/t) multiplied by the intervals (m).
Figure 1. Cross-section (location on Figure 4) showing analytical results for silver for drill holes overlaid on the current Exploration Target mineralisation (silver-copper-zinc) boundary (to be updated as part of the Mineral Resource Estimation work).
Figure 2. Cross-section (location on Figure 4) showing analytical results for silver for drill holes overlaid on the current Exploration Target mineralisation (silver-copper-zinc) boundary (to be updated as part of the Mineral Resource Estimation work).
Figure 3. Cross-section (location on Figure 4) showing analytical results for silver for drill holes overlaid on the current Exploration Target mineralisation (silver-copper-zinc) boundary (to be updated as part of the Mineral Resource Estimation work).
Target A1 Silver Oxide Discovery
Elevated bismuth (up to 0.53%), antimony (up to 0.22%), cobalt (0.39%) and gallium (up to 40 g/t) are also associated with the mineralisation, but, as yet, have not been fully investigated. The potential for the near surface oxide mineralisation to transition to underlying sulphide mineralisation has yet to be tested. Nor has the potential for expanding the mineralisation based on nearby targets, such as at the Western Zone, Target A1.
Mushima North Project
Numerous other geochemical and/or geophysical targets (B1, B2, B3, C2) are yet to be drill tested, the majority of which are located within a 12km radius of Target A1 (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Geological map of the Mushima North Project showing the locations of the priority drill-ready targets within the licence area and their distance from Target A1 relative to 5 km radius rings.
Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.