New drill results expand Myanmar’s Bawdwin ore system

ASX listed base metal developer Myanmar Metals has reported significant new results from its ongoing infill and extensional resource development drilling program at the flagship Bawdwin deposit in central Myanmar.

The drill program is targeting areas outside of the existing Bawdwin mineral resources and also regions within the existing resource model that are presently classified as the lower-confidence inferred status of categorisation.

A new drill hole targeting mineralisation outside the resource model to the southwest of the China Lode intersected two high grade zones including a 21 metre section from 56m down-hole that returned 5.7% lead, 2.6% zinc and 174g/t silver.

The second zone from 81m down-hole was just as impressive turning up 32m @ 4.2% lead, 0.9% zinc and 91g/t silver, incorporating a higher-grade section of 11m @ 8.8% lead, 1.9% zinc and 206g/t silver.

Myanmar considers these intersections to be very significant as they mostly fall outside the current mineral resource, but still within the open pit shell optimised for the Bawdwin deposit and hence more drilling is being planned.

Additionally, a recent geophysical survey completed at surface above the area of the new intercepts provided a strong chargeable anomaly just 100m further to the west.

This anomaly may relate to a subsurface accumulation of the sought-after base metal sulphides in that particular region of the Bawdwin ore system.

Another new drill hole completed from the floor of the historical open pit intersected high grade mineralisation from within the current resource model, which currently only shows low grade mineralisation.

Results included an incredible intercept of 65m @ 4.5% lead, 5% zinc and 125g/t silver from only 3m down-hole and an additional 40m @ 5% lead, 1.8% zinc and 81g/t silver from 72m in the same drill hole.

This latter intersection also included a higher-grade section going 6m @ 12.6% lead, 2.8% zinc and 226g/t silver.

Not altogether bad results from an interpreted “low grade” zone of mineralisation.

A further hole was completed to the northeast of the China Lode, targeting the higher-grade copper mineralisation that had been modelled there.

Again, results were far better than what the existing resource model had predicted and shallow mineralisation started right at the pit floor, with 2m @ 5.5% copper, 286g/t silver, 2.7% nickel and 0.5% cobalt being returned.

Right below this, the same hole intersected 28m @ 2.9% lead from 2m down-hole.

Myanmar Chairman and CEO John Lamb said: “These early drilling results are stunning and show potential for (a) significant expansion of the Bawdwin resource envelope … we are seeing outstanding results in the west wall of the China Lode, in areas previously modelled as waste; high-grade lead-zinc-silver mineralisation in zones previously modelled as lower grade halo mineralisation; and excellent copper-nickel-cobalt mineralisation over … intervals in the north-eastern part of the China Lode.”

The drilling program is continuing on 2 rigs around Bawdwin, with a single diamond rig focussed on producing drill core for geotechnical and metallurgical purposes in support of the company’s ongoing PFS works.

An RC rig is completing the development work aimed at upgrading the confidence in regions of remnant inferred mineral resources and is also targeting possible high-grade extensions of the known lodes and drilling new areas with the potential to host additional mineralisation.

The drilling programs are being conducted simultaneously with the company’s regional exploration effort across the Bawdwin concession, which is providing strong indications of new mineralisation beyond the limits of Bawdwin’s known resources.