Cornish Metals Inc has started a minimum 8,000 – 12,000 metre drill programme ahead of dewatering the tin mine at South Crofty in Cornwall.
DRILL RIGS
The Canadian company aims to collect samples for metallurgical testwork as part of the feasibility study.
Cornish Metals has contracted three drill rigs from Priority Drilling, two drilling from surface and one from underground in the Tuckingmill decline.
The first drill rig has begun drilling and will collect samples from the central part of the mine complex, focusing on No. 4 and No. 8 lodes.
“The second rig will be on site by the third week of July and will target the North Pool zone in the east of the resource area,” added the company.
“The third rig is expected in late July and will drill from underground in the Tuckingmill decline, collecting samples from Roskear and Dolcoath lodes in the western part of the mine complex.
“‘Parent’ diamond drill holes will be drilled initially and multiple wedges (‘daughter’ and ‘granddaughter’ holes) will be drilled from the parent hole to collect the samples.”
MRE
Samples will be collected for metallurgical studies, including XRT ore sorting, flowsheet optimisation, and paste backfill studies.
The company will also collect assay data to complement the current mineral resource estimate.
PROCESS PLANT
Chief executive Richard Williams added that the drill programme would provide key information for the mineral processing flowsheet, especially the amenability of the mineralised zones to ore sorting.
“If successful, [it] will present an opportunity to deliver higher grade feed and reduce the size of a process plant.”