What appears to be an important new zinc discovery has been made by Teck Corp. (TSE) at its Newfoundland Zinc mine near Daniel’s Harbour. The mine is owned 63.4% by Teck and 36.6% by a unit of Amax Inc. The operation was reactivated last year because of higher metal prices and full production began at 1,600 tons per day last September.
Michael Lipkewich, general manager metal operations for Teck, says the mineralization occurs in a previouly unexplored area 800 ft northwest of the North L zone. The zone appears to run parallel to it in a northeasterly direction.
Surface drilling will continue and a drift has been started towards the area from underground workings 550 ft to the southwest of hole 2,465 which returned 14.3% zinc over 44.4 ft.
This drift was established after underground diamond drilling located a mineralized zone believed to be an extension of the new discovery 40 ft from existing mine workings. The drift is in ore and is advancing on strike towards hole 2,468 which returned 21.4% zinc across a width of 21.3 ft.
Matthew Blecha, vice-president Teck Explorations, notes that both the original L zone and the North L zone are long pipe-shaped deposits and he suggests the new mineralization is probably a third zone running parallel to the first two. The mineralization occurs at a depth of 600 ft.
Four other holes yielded high grade zinc mineralization in addition to those just mentioned. Hole 2,469 averaged 10.8% zinc over 12 ft; No 2,470 yielded 16.2% zinc over 3.4 ft; No 2,472 returned 19.5% zinc over 15.8 ft and No 2,473 gave an estimated 15% zinc over 8 ft.
Lipkewich tells The Northern Miner that historical mill heads for the mine were about 8% zinc so the new discovery could represent a significant upgrade at this point.
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