www.connemaramining.com
Connemara Mining Company plc was established in 2006 by veterans of the Irish zinc industry to exploit zinc opportunities in Ireland and currently holds 38 prospecting licences in central and south-west Ireland. Connemara’s licences are for some or all of the base metals (Bm), barite (b), gold (g), silver (s), and platinum group elements (PGE). The Connemara exploration philosophy is trendology and closeology - follow the mineralised trends and obtain ground as close as possible to existing or former zinc/lead mines.
Connemara Mining reports encouraging results from step-out drilling at Stonepark zinc project
Connemara Mining Co PLC (LON:CON) said step-out drilling at the Stonepark zinc property in County Limerick, Ireland, has found promising mineralisation up to 2 kilometres southwest of the Stonepark North Zone discovery.
Drilling is ongoing on the Stonepark project with six rigs now on site. Approximately 25,000 metres of diamond drilling is planned for 2011.
Connemara controls 25 percent of Stonepark while Canada’s Teck Resources (TSE:TCK, NYSE:TCK) has 75 percent.
Results from the first few holes of 2011 are encouraging and have significantly increased the known size of the Stonepark hydrothermal system. Drill hole TC-2638-064, located 1km southwest of the Stonepark North zone, intersected low-grade zinc-lead mineralisation hosted in well-developed hydrothermal black matrix breccia. Drill holes TC-2638-065, 067 and 070, located 1km west, 1km southwest and 2km southwest respectively of the Stonepark North discovery hole (TC-2638-026), also intersected trace mineralisation in well-developed black matrix breccia.
Chairman John Teeling said: "The 2011 exploration programme on Stonepark is now in full swing. Six rigs are drilling what will be a total of 25 kilometres. The recent airborne gravity survey will guide future drilling while the imminent seismic survey will help in the search for thicker mineralisation. Results from wide spaced holes up to 2km away from Stonepark are very positive, discovering well developed black matrix breccias, - the target horizon containing low grade zinc mineralisation."
Drill hole TC-2638-064, located 1km southwest of the Stonepark North zone, intersected low-grade zinc-lead mineralisation hosted in well-developed hydrothermal black matrix breccia. Drill holes TC-2638-065, 067 and 070, located 1km west, 1km southwest and 2km southwest respectively of the Stonepark North discovery hole (TC-2638-026), also intersected trace mineralisation in well-developed black matrix breccia.
An airborne gravity survey over the Monaster licence block was carried out by Bell Geospace in late January-early February. Data from the survey is currently being processed with results expected in early March. This survey will be used to guide step-out drilling in the coming months, Connemara said.
The partners have contracted Tesla-IMC International to complete a 25 line kilometers 2D seismic survey on the Monaster block. The survey is scheduled to begin in early April and will identify ore-controlling faults within the Stonepark-Stonepark North area. The aim of the survey is to find ore-controlling faults that may host thicker mineralisation.
A soil geochemical survey is also underway on the Monaster licence block. An orientation survey carried out last year showed that soil geochemistry could effectively detect the known mineralisation at Stonepark North. Soil geochemistry results, combined with data from airborne gravity and seismic surveys, will be used in combination to guide drilling along a prospective trend southwest of Stonepark.
The Stonepark property is near the existing Lisheen zinc mine, operated by Vedanta Resources (LON:VED). Lisheen is one one of the largest producers of Zinc concentrates in Europe.
Minco PLC (LON:MIO) and Xstrata (LON:XTA) are currently developing the Pallas Green zinc project which is adjacent to Stonepark.
