Auzex prospect potentially high tons low grade tungsten

Best intersections from the initial from the two hole diamond drilling included 15m at 0.13% WO3 from 4m, 15m at 0.13% WO3 from 14m and 5m at 0.15% WO3 from 33m. Results average 0.05% WO3 over all drill samples to date.

Interpretations from this drilling, combined with soil sampling and other trench data, indicate the mineralisation continues to a significant depth and has a potential areal extent of 1400m by 600m, Auzex says.

This is the first drilling ever conducted on this project which is in Exploration Permit 40845, 12 km east of Reefton in the Kirwans Hill area.

Auzex says the geology encountered in both holes is similar to that mapped on the surface and in the trench dug by an earlier explorer. The higher density of veining (each vein up to 10cm wide) in both holes drilled to date correlates with the up-dip zones of higher grade tungsten mineralisation in the trench.

In general, wide low grade zones of tungsten mineralisation were intersected that include narrower high grade intervals of scheelite mineralisation. The tungsten mineralisation also appears to be associated with anomalous copper and gold.

Work is underway to characterise the tungsten mineralisation at Kirwans to understand the metallurgical recoveries of the mineralisation and hence the potential value of the mineralisation.

The programme will entail determining precisely the nature of mineralisation, including mineral species, other metal associations, nature of occurrence and the spatial distribution of tungsten within quartz and size of scheelite crystals.

Approximately 40kg of mineralisation with an average grade of 0.15% WO3 will be sent for preliminary metallurgical test work. This program of work will be completed before drilling resumes later this year.

New Zealand Minerals Ltd is currently earning a 50% interest in all of Auzex’s properties in New Zealand through the expenditure of NZ$1.7M, with Auzex NZ retaining management of all projects.

Source: Auzex Resources