Alphamin discovers tin zone at Mpama South
Alphamin Resources Corp. [AFM-TSXV; APMJF-OTC] provided an exploration update on the Mpama South drilling at the 80.75%-owned Bisie Project, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Main zone mineralization intercepted at Mpama South, based on a visual inspection and interpretation, is comparable with the mineralization being mined at the high-grade Mpama North mine. A new parallel mineralized zone was discovered in the footwall of the Main Zone at Mpama South. Additional drilling is planned at Mpama South to increase size of the Main Zone and incorporate the Footwall Zone into a planned maiden mineral resource estimate.
Alphamin’s exploration initiative aims to extend the life-of-mine at its producing Mpama North operation, to declare a maiden resource for Mpama South (located 750 metres south of Mpama North) and to discover at least one additional orebody on the prospective Bisie Ridge (13-km strike length). In that regard, Alphamin plans drilling at each of these target areas during 2021 as follows:
Mpama Sout: between 8,000 and 14,000 metres drilling with the intention to declare a maiden resource estimate toward the end of 2021 to be followed by a conceptual mining study, infill drilling and further step-out drilling.
Mpama : an initial 7,500 metres of drilling is planned to test the strike and dip extension of the current producing orebody, below 400 metres in depth from the mine portal. Drilling should start in August on the establishment of an underground drill drive on level 6.
Two drill targets 6-8 km south of Mpama North were identified along the Bisie Ridge. A soil sampling program is under way and more accurate drilling targets will be identified by the outcomes of this program in Q3 2021.
Mpama South is 750 metres south of Alphamin’s operating mine. Drilling completed in 2016 recorded notable cassiterite (tin) intercepts in similar alteration styles and of similar high grades to Mpama North, including 32.8 metres at 2.46% tin (including 18.75 metres at 3.91% tin in hole BGH011. Hole BGH003 returned 2.5 metres at 5.76% tin.
Alphamin began its Mpama South exploration program with a 5,800-metre (25 drill holes) campaign in December, 2020. To date, 5,056 metres and 23 holes have been completed. All holes had visual mineralization, suggesting continuity of the Main Zone system, while several exceptional intercepts visually comparable with the thick veins and brecciated zones of cassiterite existing at Mpama North were also observed. In addition, a new zone of mineralization was discovered in the footwall, which appears continuous and highly mineralized.