Rome Resources (RMR) currently has two drill rigs turning at Bisie North, its tin and copper project located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just eight kilometres away from the world-class Alphamin Mpama tin mine complex.
One rig is active at the Mont Agoma prospect and the second at the Kalayi prospect.
This drilling activity forms part of the company's post-maiden resource estimate drilling programme, as announced just before Christmas.
The maiden resource confirmed that the target zones are part of a large polymetallic system, with Mont Agoma presenting a wide zone dominated by near-surface copper with tin grade anticipated to increase at depth, and Kalayi showing near-surface high-grade tin, open at depth and expected to increase in width and grade with depth.
Two holes have been completed, and a third hole is approaching its target depth.
Kalayi hole KBD019 was drilled to a total depth of 189.5 metres, having encountered significant tin mineralisation between 129 metres and 135 metres. Handheld XRF readings at one metre intervals across this six-metre-wide zone showed an average 1.6% tin.
This interval is within a broader 26 metre-wide zone showing disseminated cassiterite between 114.0 metres and 140.7 metres depth, supporting the continuity of mineralisation at Kalayi.
The drilling rig has since moved with drilling commenced at hole KBD020.
At Mont Agoma drillhole MADD034 was drilled to 94 metres, serving as a control point for the structural model. Drillhole MADD035, drilled from the same pad location, is currently at approximately 190 metres depth and progressing within the main Mont Agoma mineralised zone.
"We are encouraged by the early indications from this second phase of drilling at Kalayi, where the intersection of a tin-rich zone at depth is consistent with the company's structural model and expectations for high-grade extensions beneath the known mineralisation,” said Paul Barrett, chief executive of Rome Resources.
"Drilling at Mont Agoma is also progressing well as we move toward the deeper parts of the system where we believe tin grades may strengthen. We look forward to regularly updating the market as drilling continues on both prospects and further results become available."
View from Vox
It’s great to see Rome Resources pressing on with more exploration work, following the release of the maiden resource. The pace of activity on the ground at Bisie North continues to impress. The latest grades are only from XRF, so we will have to await confirmation by assay, but so far so good. Rome has delivered plenty of very high grade drill hits in the past, and it looks like there are more to come.