Talisman Metals has found malachite, a copper mineral, in the first drill hole at its Tirzzit project in Morocco. The London-listed mining company discovered as it began a 2,770-metre drilling programme at the copper project. The company has completed 187 metres so far. The finding confirms the presence of copper at depth, but it does not yet show how much copper is there. Laboratory tests are needed to determine the grade, thickness and extent of the mineralisation.
Talisman plans to send its first samples to a laboratory this week. Results are expected four to six weeks after the samples are shipped.
The drilling programme includes 33 vertical holes, each between 40 and 140 metres deep. The holes are spread along a mineralised structure that extends for at least 4km.
Talisman may add more holes if the drilling identifies new targets.
The company has already found copper at surface at Tirzzit.
Channel samples published in August showed copper grades ranging from 0.60% to 2.62% over widths of 0.90 to 2.78 metres. The samples also contained between 12 and 44 grams of silver per tonne.
These results only show what was found at surface. They do not indicate what grades the current drilling will find underground.
Tirzzit covers two mining permits with a total area of 16.5 sq km. The project is about 225km east of Agadir.
Previous exploration between 1972 and 1976 included 35 drill holes covering 4,978 metres. One historical result showed 3.16% copper over 2.5 metres.
Talisman does not classify these older results as a certified mineral resource under current standards.
Talisman agreed in February to buy the two Tirzzit permits from a subsidiary of Aya Silver & Gold for 200,000 dirhams, about £16,000.
The deal also included the transfer of an exploration permit near Boumadine to Aya. Aya owns a 4.7% stake in Talisman.
The transfer of the Tirzzit permits to Talisman’s Moroccan subsidiary, Horizons Mines, is still being processed.
Tirzzit is about 85km north-east of parts of Talisman’s Tizert project group and about 25km south of Aya’s Zgounder silver mine.
