Youanmi Drillholes Deliver Up to 5.2% Zinc and 19 g/t Indium in New Results
Venus Metals Corporation reports significant zinc and indium mineralisation from recent diamond drilling at its Youanmi Base Metals Project, initiating metallurgical testwork to refine zinc concentrate quality.
- Diamond drillholes VMC250 and VMC252 intercept high-grade zinc and indium mineralisation
- Deep hole VMC255 confirms zinc mineralisation extension at depth within Pincher Dome VMS Trend
- Metallurgical testwork underway to optimise zinc flotation and concentrate quality
- Potential for a large, shallow open pittable zinc resource being evaluated
- Drilling partly funded by government co-funded EIS grant
Strong Zinc and Indium Intercepts
Venus Metals Corporation has released promising results from three diamond drillholes at its Youanmi Base Metals Project in Western Australia. Two inclined holes, VMC250 and VMC252, targeted shallow zinc mineralisation and returned notable intercepts, including 19 metres at 2.63% zinc and 19.32 grams per tonne indium from 49 metres in VMC250, and 11 metres at 3.00% zinc and 19.21 grams per tonne indium from 65 metres in VMC252. These grades highlight the potential for economically significant zinc-indium mineralisation near surface.
Deeper Extension Confirmed by VMC255
The third hole, VMC255, drilled vertically to over 410 metres depth under a government co-funded Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) grant, intersected zinc mineralisation from 318 metres downhole. This intercept, including a high-grade 1 metre section at 8.94% zinc, is interpreted as a down-dip northern extension of the Pincher Dome Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) Trend, expanding the known mineralised footprint at depth.
Metallurgical Testwork Underway
Venus has commenced metallurgical testwork at ALS Metallurgy using core samples from the shallow drillholes. The program aims to assess flotation amenability through conventional crushing, grinding, and flotation tests. Initial rougher flotation will seek to maximise zinc recovery, followed by cleaner flotation to produce a high-grade zinc concentrate with low penalty elements and potential credits from indium. These results will be critical in evaluating the economic viability of the mineralisation and guiding future resource development.
Strategic Resource Potential
The company is actively assessing the opportunity to define a large, shallow, open pittable zinc resource within the Pincher area. The combination of encouraging drill results and ongoing metallurgical studies positions Venus to potentially advance the Youanmi Base Metals Project towards a resource delineation phase. The project benefits from proximity to other significant mineral deposits in the Youanmi Greenstone Belt and is supported by prior exploration data and government funding initiatives.
Looking Ahead
Venus Metals’ recent drilling and testwork mark a pivotal step in unlocking the zinc potential of the Youanmi project. As metallurgical results emerge, they will inform the next phase of exploration and resource modelling, potentially attracting further investment and development interest in this promising Western Australian base metals asset.
Bottom Line?
Metallurgical insights will soon clarify the economic promise of Youanmi’s zinc mineralisation, setting the stage for resource expansion.
Questions in the middle?
- What will the metallurgical testwork reveal about zinc recovery rates and concentrate quality?
- How extensive is the shallow zinc mineralisation along the Pincher Dome VMS Trend?
- Could indium credits materially enhance the project’s economic outlook?
