Initial assays from maiden diamond drilling at EV Resources’ (ASX: EVR) Los Lirios antimony project in Mexico have confirmed a broad, shallow, bulk tonnage-style system with significant high-grade potential.
The horizon of the laterally-extensive antimony-bearing carbonate replacement (CRD) system was intersected in four of the five first holes at the Lirios 1 target area, from less than 10 metres depth.
It established lateral continuity as the defining characteristic of the Los Lirios system.
Subject to the completion of drilling and resource evaluation, this creates the potential for a large, mineralised footprint amenable to bulk-tonnage open-pit development scenarios.
Technical Validation Program
EV designed the drilling campaign as a first-pass technical validation to confirm the presence, geometry, and grade distribution of antimony mineralisation within the broader Los Lirios system.
It sought to determine whether shallow carbonate replacement mineralisation extended laterally beyond the historical workings and interpreted feeder structures.
Results to date have exceeded the company’s expectations for an initial reconnaissance-style program, with drilling consistently intersecting shallow antimony mineralisation across multiple holes.
A best assay of 3.05m at 2.1% antimony from 8.1m demonstrated the grade potential of the system, while multiple shallow intercepts confirmed the presence of the laterally-extensive mineralised CRD horizon.
‘Highly Encouraging Outcome’
Managing director Mike Brown said the first assays were promising for Los Lirios’ prospectivity.
“For a first-pass drilling program to consistently intersect antimony mineralisation at shallow depths across multiple holes is a highly encouraging outcome,” Mr Brown said.
“The shallow geometry and strong grades encountered are particularly important in the current antimony price environment, as they may support lower stripping ratios, lower drilling costs, and favourable future mining configurations if sufficient scale and continuity are established.”
“The consistency of shallow antimony mineralisation encountered in this initial technical validation phase has materially strengthened our confidence in the broader scale potential of the Los Lirios system.”
The company will now transition to a more systematic Phase 2 drilling program focused on delineating scale, continuity, and resource potential across the broader Los Lirios corridor.
