Base and precious metals exploration company Alvo Minerals (ASX:ALV) has started a diamond drilling (DD) program at the ‘high-priority’ greenfields Pelicano prospect, as part of its Palma Project in central Brazil.
The company says drilling has begun to test the first “discovery” greenfields regional target generated by its in-house technical team within the Palma project’s Pelicano prospect, which is located in proximity and shares similar exploration characteristics to the ‘high-grade’ C3 deposit.
Alvo Minerals adds the prospect is based on a 1.2km long fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) conductor that is coincident with a high chargeability induced polarisation (IP) response and coincident anomalous geochemistry.
Drilling began in late January 2023 and is currently drilling hole PDP-074, and is expected to reach target depth by mid-February.
Addressing the start of drilling, Alvo Minerals Managing Director Rob Smakman says: “We are incredibly excited to test this major anomaly, having first defined the Pelicano prospect in Q3 2022 after completing a FLEM survey that showed an unexpected high tenor anomaly.
After inversion of the FLEM, additional lines were completed and we quickly built an understanding of the ‘extensive’ size of the conductor at Pelicano. At over 1.2km in strike length, it’s the biggest anomaly we have seen to date at Palma. What makes Pelicano especially interesting is that the conductor wasn’t identified through the historic aerial EM survey (VTEM) completed in 2008 due to the cover.
“At over 1.2km in strike length, it’s the biggest anomaly we have seen to date at Palma”
We spent time building on our interpretation, including completing IP surveys, mapping and geochemistry. We are now at a point where we have multiple pieces of geological evidence that all support drill testing this highly compelling and major target. We are excited to be undertaking our first hole at this target as drilling will be the ultimate test of the conductor.”
The company also notes that Pelicano was identified through a review of historical geochemical sampling results where a coincident, first order anomaly of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) over a 600m in strike length.
Meanwhile, the FLEM survey conducted by Alvo’s geophysical team, which identified the Pelicano anomaly, displayed that the major electromagnetic conductor has a conductive thickness of 200 siemens, a strike length of 1.2km, and a depth extent of up to 700m which starts from 250m below surface.
With drilling now underway, Alvo Minerals announces extensional diamond drilling at the C3 prospect to target ‘significant’ extensions along strike and at depth to ‘high-grade’ volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralisation is still ongoing, and that metallurgical testwork at C1 is expected to commence in Q1 2023.
Alvo Minerals is an ASX-listed exploration company actively hunting for ‘high-grade’ copper and zinc mineralisation at its flagship Palma project in central Brazil. The project currently boasts a JORC 2012 inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 4.6 million tonnes (Mt) @ 1.0% Cu, 3.9% Zn, 0.4% Pb, and 20g/t silver (Ag).
The company’s current strategy is to aggressively explore and deliver growth through discovery by leveraging managements’ ‘extensive’ track record in Brazil.
Images: Alvo Minerals Ltd
