Alphamin Resources has announced more assay results from its highly anticipated drilling campaign at Mpama South.
Alphamin currently operates the Bisie mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, producing roughly 4% of the world’s mined tin. Bisie is currently focused on extracting the metal from the Mpama North deposit, which is currently the highest grade resource in the world.
Mpama South Assays to-date
The company has not been standing still, and has been drilling multiple targets along the Bisie ridge to expand its resource base. This includes the Mpama South deposit, which lies roughly 1km from the existing mine at surface. However, new results indicate that the two deposits may be closer than previously thought. Alphamin has drilled 89 holes into Mpama South and is currently visually appraising the drill core before it is sent to be assayed. According to the company’s geologists, cassiterite mineralisation is visible in intercepts just 85m to the south of Mpama North mine. These results are yet to be confirmed by chemical assays, but there is already evidence of extremely high grade tin mineralisation in the deposit.
The most recent assays have returned “the best drillhole assayed to date at Mpama South”, according to Alphamin. Highlights include nearly 16m at 5% tin, but also contain an 0.8m intercept of more than 18% tin. For comparison, the average grade of tin in mines globally is roughly 0.8-1.0% tin, and the Resource at Mpama North was 4.6% Sn in the company’s 2019 report.
Mpama North Drill Targets
Alphamin has also continued drilling at Mpama North to extend the mineralisation at the existing operation. The first batch of drillhole assays returned a 19.6m intercept with a grade of 17.16% Sn – the second best result drilled at Mpama North to date. However, due to increased structural complexity at depth, several drill holes returned no visible mineralisation, and this has constrained the size of the Mpama North Deeps target to smaller extents than originally planned. Having revised the drilling plan with these results, Alphamin will continue to drill the remaining Deeps target, as well as the shallower Oso target and down-dip mineralisation to the east of Mpama North, which remains open.
On top of the work being done at Mpama North and South, drilling has begun on the first of six high priority targets further down the Bisie ridge.
Our view: Assay results to date indicate an average grade of 2.9% Sn at Mpama South. This will be confirmed in the Maiden Mineral Resource estimate, which is expected to be released in February, but a result around this number puts Mpama South near the top of the highest grade undeveloped tin projects globally.
Alphamin Resources is a member of ITA’s Explorers and Developers Group.
