
Cornish Metals Inc. (TSX-V:CUSN) (AIM: CUSN) a dual-listed company focused on advancing the South Crofty high-grade, underground tin project through to delivery of a Feasibility Study, as well as exploring its additional mineral rights, all located in Cornwall, South West England, is pleased to report the remaining assay results from the Phase 1 drill programme at United Downs. This release includes results from the Mount Wellington and United Mines Targets within the United Downs project, located eight kilometres east of South Crofty (Figure 1).
Highlights
Richard Williams, CEO of the Company, stated “The Phase 1 drill programme at United Downs has been successful on a number of fronts – assay results, safety, community support and drill contractor performance.
“Results from the United Downs drill programme confirm the potential to develop a Mineral Resource, especially the down dip section of the United Mine where we encountered high-grade copper, tin, and silver. The Company is now considering the next steps for United Downs.”
Photographs from the drill programme can be viewed here.
Table 1 – Significant Intersections
Hole | From | To | Hole Length (m) |
Length (m) |
Copper (%) |
Tin (%) |
Zinc (%) |
Ag (g/t) |
MW22_001 | 87.03 | 89.08 | 623.46 | 2.05 | 0.11 | 0.38 | 6.05 | 8 |
And | 249.40 | 253.65 | 4.25 | 0.24 | 0.07 | 5.51 | 13 | |
And | 307.20 | 307.58 | 0.38 | 0.21 | 1.38 | 0.26 | 7 | |
And | 362.53 | 363.33 | 0.80 | 0.05 | 0.07 | 6.48 | 9 | |
And | 473.72 | 474.04 | 0.32 | 0.25 | 0.41 | 0.02 | 1 | |
And | 615.90 | 616.24 | 0.34 | 1.22 | 0.45 | 0.04 | 23 | |
MW22_002 | 139.79 | 141.11 | 710.54 | 1.32 | 0.77 | 0.70 | 0.23 | 46 |
And | 326.00 | 327.49 | 1.49 | 6.17 | 0.08 | 0.53 | 67 | |
And | 548.36 | 553.25 | 4.89 | 2.21 | 0.22 | 0.07 | 19 | |
Including | 548.36 | 549.30 | 0.94 | 5.92 | 0.30 | 0.22 | 56 | |
And | 560.61 | 562.27 | 1.66 | 0.15 | 1.09 | 0.01 | 1 | |
And | 649.41 | 651.83 | 2.42 | 0.38 | 3.70 | 9.09 | 6 | |
Including | 649.81 | 651.48 | 1.67 | 0.28 | 5.07 | 12.19 | 7 | |
UD22_001 | 82.71 | 84.91 | 745.47 | 2.20 | 0.04 | 0.90 | 0.10 | 1 |
And | 622.13 | 622.94 | 0.81 | 0.12 | 0.49 | 0.13 | 1 | |
And | 698.82 | 699.25 | 0.43 | 0.01 | 0.87 | 0.02 | ||
And | 700.32 | 701.41 | 1.09 | 0.06 | 0.92 | 0.01 | ||
UD22_001A | 619.66 | 622.02 | 800.64* | 2.36 | 0.15 | 1.13 | 0.03 | |
And | 696.22 | 697.03 | 0.81 | 0.15 | 0.36 | 1.20 | 1 |
True thickness of encountered structures is estimated to be in the region of 80-90%.
* – UD22_001A was wedged from UD22_001 at a downhole depth of 535.40m
GEOLOGY AND MINERALISATION
The geology at United Downs comprises metasediments (locally termed “killas”), which overlie an intrusive granite body. The historic mines within the area (United Mines, Consolidated Mines, Mount Wellington, and Wheal Jane) exploited copper – tin – zinc – silver mineralisation hosted entirely within killas.
The polymetallic mineralisation is primarily hosted in narrow, steeply dipping vein or “lode” structures, and consists of cassiterite (tin), chalcopyrite (copper) and sphalerite (zinc) with other copper minerals such as chalcocite and bornite occasionally present.
United Mines and Consolidated Mines operated between the early 1700s and the 1870s, mining high-grade copper ores (reported grades of 7.5% copper) to depths of up to 500m below surface.
The Mount Wellington and Wheal Jane mines exploited similar structures located along strike from the historic mining at United Downs, where tin, copper and zinc mineralisation was mined and processed until 1978 and 1991, respectively. Wheal Jane was mined to a depth of approximately 500m below surface whereas Mount Wellington only reached approximately 200m depth before closing. Mount Wellington is located within Cornish Metals’ mineral rights and was still in mineralisation when the mined closed.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Drilling at United Downs has been performed by Priority Drilling Company Ltd using an Epiroc Christensen CT14 Diamond Drill Rig. Mineralised zones were drilled in NQ (76 millimetre (‘mm’) diameter) to recover a 48mm diameter drill core. Core recovery was greater than 95%. The core was logged, split, and sampled by Cornish Metals personnel. The samples, comprising half core, were sent for assay at ALS Minerals, Loughrea, Ireland. Sample preparation involved crushing to 70% less than 2mm, riffle split and pulverised to 85% less than 75 microns. The analytical method used for copper, tin, tungsten, zinc and arsenic was X-ray florescence (XRF) following a lithium borate fusion. A multi-element 4 Acid Digestion ICP-AES analysis was also carried out to further characterise the mineralisation and alteration assemblages. Overlimit assays on silver were carried out using a 3-acid digest and a HCl leach ICP AES analysis. Comprehensive Quality Assurance / Quality Control programme using standards, duplicates and blanks was included within the sampling programme.
The technical information in this news release has been compiled by Mr. Owen Mihalop who has reviewed and takes responsibility for the data and geological interpretation. Mr. Owen Mihalop (MCSM, BSc (Hons), MSc, FGS, MIMMM, CEng) is Chief Operating Officer for Cornish Metals Inc. and has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined under the JORC Code (2012) and as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Mihalop consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
ABOUT CORNISH METALS
The South Crofty project covers the former producing South Crofty tin mine located beneath the towns of Pool and Camborne, Cornwall. South Crofty mine closed in 1998 following over 400 years of continuous production. Since acquiring the project in 2016, Cornish Metals has completed and published maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resources for South Crofty using the vast archive of historical production data and more recent drilling completed between 2007 and 2013. Additionally, Cornish Metals has undertaken extensive pilot-scale water treatment trials and successfully applied for and received the necessary environmental permits to abstract, treat and discharge mine water in order to dewater the mine. Planning permissions for the operation of the mine and re-development of the surface facilities have been secured and construction of the water treatment plant foundations commenced. The dewatering pumps, variable speed drives and new high-voltage power supply have been delivered to site.
An updated Mineral Resource was completed in June 2021 as summarised below:
South Crofty Summary (JORC 2012) Mineral Resource Estimate | |||||
Area | Classification | Mass (‘000 tonnes) |
Grade | Contained Tin / Tin Equivalent (‘000 tonnes) |
Increase in contained Tin / Tin equivalent from 2016 MRE |
Lower Mine | Indicated | 2,084 | 1.59% Sn | 33 | 10.2% |
Inferred | 1,937 | 1.67% Sn | 32 | 129.8% | |
Upper Mine | Indicated | 277 | 1.01% SnEq | 3 | 9.5% |
Inferred | 493 | 0.93% SnEq | 5 | 8.0% |
The Mineral Resource Estimate for South Crofty (see news release dated June 9, 2021), is available in a report titled the “South Crofty Tin Project Mineral Resource Update”, dated June 7, 2021, authored by Mr. N. Szebor, CGeol (London), EuroGeol, FGS, of AMC Consultants (UK) Ltd, can be accessed on the Company’s SEDAR page.
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