A new drill programme at the Oldcastle zinc project, in Cavan and Meath, Ireland, has been launched, with about 1 800 m of drilling planned, gold and zinc explorer Connemara reported on Wednesday.
The Oldcastle project is a joint venture between Connemara and Teck Resources subsidiary Teck Ireland, which has an option to increase its interest from 65% to 75% by spending another €400 000 by year-end.
"Teck has completed comprehensive technical work leading to this decision, integrating data derived from previous drilling, geophysics and two-dimensional seismic to refine the targets. The target is compelling, focussed on the Pale Beds within an interpreted fault system that Teck considers may present a Navan analogue,” said Connemara CEO Patrick Cullen.
The Oldcastle project comprises a block of five contiguous licences covering 172 km2 in counties Meath and Cavan. Extensive work has been done at Oldcastle over a number of years by Connemara, Teck and others, including geological, geochemical and geophysical in an area known to contain zinc mineralisation.
Drilling from three deep holes in 2015/16 (for a total of 2 500 m) identified trace mineralisation and provided drill core material for updated detailed analysis, including portable X-ray fluorescence analysis, sulphur isotope and stratigraphic analysis. This work indicates the presence of a prospective hydrothermal system.
The focus of the planned programme is at the Springhall prospect. About 1 800 m drill testing is planned over two to three holes, as well as some surface work elsewhere in the project block.