JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The latest assay and drill hole intersection results for the T3 copper/silver project, in Botswana, indicate openpit expansion potential, says Aim-listed investment company Metal Tiger.

Metal Tiger holds a 30% interest in the project, with the balance owned by ASX-listed MOD Resources.

T3 is located within the central part of the T3 Dome (about 1 000 km2), which is the focus of rapidly increasing exploration activity undertaken by the joint venture partners. 

“As we continue to make good progress with the T3 openpit feasibility study, we are pleased to report that the preliminary results from the T3 Phase 2 infill and expansion case drilling programme are very encouraging, showing the potential that the overall mineral resource at T3 can be increased and giving confidence to the openpit expansion case ore processing model,” commented Metal Tiger CEO Michael McNeilly.

He added that preliminary modelling shows that the total mineralisation intersected by drilling to date extends well outside the resource announced on August 24, 2017, and that the company looks forward to the results of the next resource upgrade scheduled for early June, with the intention to convert additional inferred mineral resources to the indicated and measured categories and increase the overall resource size.

Drilling results will also feed into the feasibility study to help increase confidence in the T3 expansion case model, which assumes ore processing at a rate of 2.5-million tonnes a year for about three years before ramping up to 4-million tonnes a year for eight years, and to help with mine schedule modelling.

The Phase 2 drilling at the T3 copper/silver deposit began on August 7, 2017, with approval granted for the recommencement of both diamond core (DC) and reverse circulation drilling at the T3 project and its vicinity, through to December this year.

This includes up to 70 planned DC drill holes designed to infill the current resource and test for possible extensions.

The objective of the infill programme, however, is to increase geological confidence and upgrade categorisation of the T3 resource. The programme also includes grid drilling to investigate the potential for an underground resource down-dip and along strike from the planned openpit, and to investigate geophysical targets.