Middle Island Resources has outlined another promising target in Serbia after the company’s first soil-sampling program at its historic Tisovik lead mine returned widespread anomalism, including assays up to 2733 parts per million (ppm) lead and 899ppm zinc across a footprint stretching 1.5km by 400m.
The company says the mineralisation remain open to the north where sampling lines near the projected strike of the “Tisovik limestone” - the same geological unit that historically produced exceptional lead grades during multiple mining phases dating back to the 1930’s.
The company’s geologists flagged the early confirmation of strong lead-zinc anomalism as a significant first step in unlocking yet another target within the Bobija project area.
The new Tisovik dataset was generated from 90 soil samples collected along 400m-spaced north-south lines, identifying multiple parallel zones of anomalous lead and zinc, with continuity across the full length of the survey and geochemical highs closely correlating with logged limestone lead hosts.
With anomalism still emerging at the edges of the grid, particularly toward the main limestone host, the company says immediate extension of the soil program is now being prepared.
Middle Island Resources non-executive chairman Daniel Raihani said: “Work is continuing apace at the Bobija Project in western Serbia, with the soil results at the Tisovik target further demonstrating the potential of this exciting project area. Bobija hosts several historic mines within the granted mining leases that historically produced high-grade base metals and barite but remain relatively unexplored by modern exploration methods.”
Tisovik sits just 4km north-east of Bobija’s open pit, where Middle Island has recently completed reverse-circulation drilling and tabled eye-catching channel sampling results across broad intervals of polymetallic mineralisation.
The company has wasted no time putting capital to work since completing its “transformational” acquisition of the projects earlier this month, a deal that delivered 14 Serbian licences across the Western Tethyan Mineral Province. The region hosts a globally recognised copper-gold belt, which is home to major deposits such as Zijin’s Cukaru Peki and the Malka Golaja discovery.
Konstantin’s flagship Bobija project has become the immediate focus, with the company rapidly advancing multiple work streams since September.
Channel sampling released last week reported standout intercepts including 47m at 1.9 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 229g/t silver, 0.56 per cent copper, 2.18 per cent lead and 2.99 per cent zinc from the floor of the historic open pit, with assays also returning individual grades up to 8.25g/t gold and 499g/t silver.
The continuity across broad intervals was described as “extremely positive” and has given the company confidence heading into the RC assay results for beneath its open pit, which now pending.
Tisovik adds yet another layer of optionality to the expansive project.
Today’s soil program confirms the system continues well beyond the old workings and suggests the mineralised footprint may be considerably larger than previously understood.
With Bobija RC assays imminent, expanded rock-chip results pending and Tisovik showing early scale, the company’s Serbian campaign appears to be gaining traction across multiple fronts only weeks after the Konstantin acquisition formally closed.
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By Bill McConnell
