Nevsun Resources has reported new assay results from drilling at the Asheli prospect that is part of an ongoing regional exploration program at its Bisha operations in Eritrea. Nevsun discovered the Asheli deposit in April 2015, with initial exploration focusing on a 700-m-long section of highly sericite- and chlorite-altered felsic volcanics and associated small, pod-shaped surface gossans. Limited historical drilling had intersected only narrow stringer-style mineralization, with minor chalcopyrite and sphalerite, but no massive sulphides.
The recent drilling has demonstrated the continuity of Asheli mineralization, including massive sulphide intersections of 44 m grading 1.97% copper, 9.13% zinc, 0.36 g/mt gold, and 32 g/mt silver; and of 22.2 m grading 2.43% copper, 9.98% zinc, 0.33 g/mt gold, and 35 g/mt silver.
Nevsun CEO Cliff Davis said, “We continue to have excellent results from our exploration programs at Bisha as demonstrated by the assays reported from our drilling at Asheli. Asheli is a greenfield discovery that we made on our Mogoraib River exploration license a year ago. Attractive copper and zinc grades in massive sulphides continue to be intersected, and the massive sulphide encountered in a recent hole is nearly twice as thick as our initial intercepts. With more than 4 km of untested strike length of similar geology, the potential for further discoveries on the Asheli trend looks very promising.
Production totaled 135 million lb of copper in concentrate in 2015. A new zinc flotation plant is nearing completion and is expected to reach commercial production before year-end 2016.