Myanmar Metals has announced that the Bawdwin Joint Venture (BJV) has received first assay results from the ongoing drill program.

Drilling locations on topography. Image source © Myanmar Metals

BWRC027, drilled in the southwest edge of China Lode intersected 32 metres at 4.2 per cent Pb, 0.9 per cent Zn and 91g/t Ag, including 11 metres at 8.8 per cent Pb, 1.9 per cent Zn and 206g/t Ag, west of the current China Lode Mineral Resources.

The Company considers this drill result as highly significant as the Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) survey recently completed over this area defined an anomaly west of the China Pit, which may relate to additional mineralised zones, approximately 200 metres west of the current China Lode Mineral Resource. Further drilling will be planned both up and down dip to test the extent of this new mineralised zone.

BWRC024 targeted extensions of high-grade lead and zinc mineralisation from a China footwall lode closer to the surface. The hole was successful, intersecting 65 metres at 4.5 per cent Pb, 5.0 per cent Zn and 125g/t Ag, and 40m at 5.0 per cent Pb, 1.8 per cent Zn and 81g/t Ag, including a new higher-grade zone of 6 metres at 12.6 per cent Pb, 2.8 per cent Zn and 226g/t Ag, which was modelled as low grade in the resource block model.

BWRC033 was drilled in the northeast of China Lode targeting some high-grade copper mineralisation, associated with nickel and cobalt, as well as some lead halo mineralisation intersected in historic sampling. BWRC033 intersected 2 metres at 5.5 per cent Cu, 286g/t Ag, 2.8 per cent Ni and 0.5 per cent Co, as well as a 28-metre-wide zone of 2.9 per cent Pb.

BWRC028, one of the few holes drilled in Shan Lode, was testing continuity and accuracy of the resource model which was based predominantly on historic underground channel samples. The intersection of mineralisation as predicted by the resource block model has increased confidence and will be targeted by future drilling.

The drilling program is being conducted simultaneously with an exploration program, which has provided strong indications of new zones of mineralisation outside Bawdwin’s known resources.

In 2019, the Company anticipates a drilling program which will include in-fill drilling, step-out drilling and exploration drilling. This program will be structured to both accelerate and maximise value realisation, by focusing on drilling activities for the near-term development of the China Pit and by demonstrating the outstanding exploration potential of Bawdwin.

Myanmar Metals Executive Chairman and CEO John Lamb describes the early drilling results as stunning, showing potential for significant expansion of the Bawdwin resource envelope.

“Already we are seeing outstanding results in the west wall of the China Lode, in areas previously modelled as waste; high-grade lead-zinc-silver mineralisation in zones previously modelled as lower grade halo mineralisation; and excellent copper-nickel-cobalt mineralisation over smaller intervals in the north-eastern part of the China Lode,” commented Mr Lamb.

“The Company is delighted with these first drilling results and very excited about imminent results from drilling in the faulted zone between the China and Meingtha Lodes, again currently mapped as void of mineralisation in the resource model.

Source: www.myanmarmetals.com.au