Alien Metals completes sampling across Zacatecas concessions

Mining exploration and development company Alien Metals updated the market on work at its wholly-owned Donovan 2, Los Campos and San Celso concessions in Mexico’s Zacatecas State on Tuesday, reporting that it had completed sampling programmes at all three concessions.

The AIM-traded firm said 98 surface samples were taken across the three projects, which had now been sent to the ALS Chemex de Mexico laboratory for analysis.

At Donovan 2, it said a ground mapping and sampling programme was commissioned during July to follow up on previous work.

In particular, it was designed as an initial effort to seek evidence to help localise the source of the float sample that returned 0.45 grams per tonne of gold from the south western area of the concession, coincident with the ground magnetic high in the same location.

It said the follow-up sampling work had resulted in 10 samples being taken and submitted to the lab for analysis.

Finalisation of planning for the proposed induced polarity (IP) survey over the central ground magnetic anomaly, along with surface sampling indicating that target to hold potential for volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) type mineralisation, was said to be in the final stages, with that work is intended to be carried out in the near future.

The results of the samples, together with the ongoing detailed review of historic data, would inform the next phase of exploration at Donovan 2, the board explained.

At Los Campos, Alien Metals said previous exploration activity had highlighted the high-grade silver potential of the project, which featured a historic mine within the concession boundary.

As it had proposed in late June, the firm’s technical team carried out a surface mapping and sampling programme during July to corroborate earlier sampling and mapping of the area, to “enrich” its knowledge of the project, and to inform future exploration at Los Campos.

That work resulted in 50 samples being collected from in-situ outcrops, entrances to old workings, float and historic waste and ore dumps.

Alien said it believed there was potential for the historically-mined veins to continue at depth below the historic workings, as well as having strike extensions.

Finally, at San Celso, Alien explained that previous exploration programmes had highlighted the high-grade silver potential of the project, with samples including up to 500 grams per tonne of silver, 0.3 grams per tonne of gold, 13,700 parts per million lead, and 13,900 parts per million zinc.

A surface mapping and sampling programme was conducted in July by the Alien Metals technical team, in a bid to corroborate earlier reconnaissance and mapping of the area, aiming to combine the historic data available with the new data to allow a “full review” of the potential and next-step work plans.

The board said historically-mined veins at San Celso were believed to continue below the historic workings, as well as having strike extensions.

At the project, 38 samples were collected to improve the company’s knowledge base of the open veins, and to begin to collect evidence to support the presence of vein extensions.

“Given the increase in the silver price during 2019, the timing for a potential farm-out or joint-venture in respect of the Los Campos and San Celso projects is increasingly attractive,” said Alien Metals chairman Dan Smith.

“These short sampling programmes enrich and corroborate historic data, ensuring the company is well-prepared to advance these projects.

“We will provide an update following receipt of the assay results, likely to be during the course of August.”