Specialty metals explorer and developer Pan Asia Metals said diamond drilling has intersected near surface tungsten mineralisation with grades over robust widths at the Than Pho West prospect within its Khao Soon Tungsten Project in southern Thailand. 

The project is one the company’s key assets and a significant historical high-grade producer. Modern exploration has discovered potentially world-class, district scale tungsten mineralisation across numerous prospects. The current drilling program seeks to test exploration targets with the aim of estimating mineral resources.

The company noted that results are in line with the exploration target. Pan Asia Metals managing director Paul Lock said, “… with these grades and geometries [the Than Pho West] prospect is shaping up as an open cut target, and the mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth.”

Results from the spot handheld XRF testing for the final holes of the Phase 1 drilling program include:

• 9.2 metres @ 0.42% WO3 from 28.3 metres including 1.5 metres @ 1.15% from 34.7 metres.
• 45.9 metres @ 0.30% WO3 from 35 metres including 2.7 metres @ 0.91% from 76.3 metres.
• 19 metres @ 0.56% WO3 from 48.6 metres including 5.6 metres @ 0.73% from 51 metres.

Lock said, “Although confirmation by laboratory analysis is pending, the spot hhXRF results are generally in line with or slightly above the grade range expressed in the exploration target. We have more drilling to do and our success to date is highly encouraging.” 

Source: Pan Asia Metals