VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – An ongoing exploration campaign by Eritrea-focused base metals miner Nevsun Resources has extended the current Harena satellite deposit by 150 m beyond the current resource estimate.

“The new drilling demonstrates that the already sizeable Harena resource extends 150 m beyond its currently modelled limits, further enhancing the potential for underground mining. We are particularly encouraged by the increasing copper content which indicates the mineralising system is strengthening,” CEO Cliff Davis commented.

Nevsun said it has intersected 18.4 m grading 1.65% copper, 4.03% zinc, 0.82 g/t gold and 55 g/t silver.

Meanwhile, borehole electromagnetic surveys suggest further down plunge extensions are likely.

The drilling campaign has intersected 57.4 m of 0.37% copper, 7.08% zinc, 0.17 g/t gold and 9 g/t silver; 44.5 m of 0.49% copper, 6.51% zinc, 0.43 g/t gold and 29 g/t silver; 40.5 m of 0.76% copper, 4.82% zinc, 0.18 g/t gold and 18 g/t silver; and 84 m of 0.80% copper, 4.72% zinc, 0.27 g/t gold and 15 g/t silver.

Further, Nevsun advised that preliminary versatile time-domain electromagnetic survey results highlight many new untested shallow drill targets.

“The recently completed airborne survey over the Mogoraib River and Tabakin exploration licences that were acquired in 2016, has highlighted a significant number of new shallow drill targets. Evaluation of the highest-priority anomalies is currently under way but the full suite of targets will take years to pursue. As we have always stated, Bisha is evolving into a large VMS [volcanogenic massive sulphide] district with exploration still in its infancy,” Davis said.

Harena is located 10 km south of Nevsun’s flagship Bisha processing plant and drilling continues to expand the deposit at depth. Some of the results reported are part of an in-fill programme designed to upgrade the mineral resource and tighten the drill spacing at Harena to 100 m centres, while others are from an ongoing programme focused on expanding the deposit.

Nevsun believes Bisha has "untapped district-scale" potential, with current deposits discovered including Harena, Bisha Main, Northwest Zone, Hambok and Asheli. An aggressive exploration programme is being undertaken at Asheli, Harena and Bisha Main.