Australian tungsten developer, Tungsten Mining NL (ASX: TGN) ('TGN' or 'the Company') is pleased to report on the latest results from drilling at the Mt Mulgine Project.
On 19 December 2019, the Company announced the updated Mulgine Trench Mineral Resource estimate resulting in a major increase in contained tungsten and molybdenum and highlighting the significance of accessory minerals gold (850,000 ounces) and silver (35 million ounces) (refer ASX announcement 19 December 2019, 'Major Mineral Resource Estimate Upgrade for Mulgine Trench Deposit').
Since completion of reverse circulation (RC) drillholes used for the 2019 Mineral Resource estimate, Tungsten Mining has drilled an additional 145 RC holes for 27,128 metres. This announcement reports the latest assay results received by the Company from 22 January to 21 February 2020, representing 26 RC holes for 5,554 metres.
The Company is pleased to report that the latest assay results - subsequent to the Mineral Resource estimate released in December 2019, continue to be outstanding and demonstate intersections greater that 200 metres in true width.
Tungsten Mining's CEO Craig Ferrier commented, 'There is increasing confidence that the polymetallic mineralisation is remarkably consistent throughout the Trench deposit. In addition, the very substantial widths of mineralisation intersected in the initial phase of drilling are not only being confirmed but are now extending to a 260 metre wide zone. As this exciting phase of exploration comes to an end, we are looking forward to determining the scale of this significant tungsten poly-metallic resource compared to other world class tungsten deposits'.
Discussion of latest assay results
In July 2019, the Company commenced a phased drilling program as part of the Mt Mulgine Project PFS with the objective of upgrading the dominantly Inferred Mulgine Trench Mineral Resource estimate to a dominantly Indicated status. Latest assay results from the 26 holes being reported here continue to intersect multiple tungsten-molybdenum intersections within a 160 to 260 metre envelope. Better holes that demonstrate the significance of mineralisation include MMC445, MMC481 and MMC482. These holes intersected multiple zones with minor internal waste forming overall mineralised envelopes of 266 metres at 0.11% WO3 and 215 ppm Mo from 2 metres, 252 metres at 0.11% WO3 and 475 ppm Mo from surface (0 metres) and 232 metres at 0.13% WO3 and 400 ppm Mo from 62 metres respectively. All three holes were drilled perpendicular to mineralisation and intervals represent true thicknesses.
Of the 5,554 metres from the 26 holes being reported, 3,728 metres fell within an intersection greater than 3 metres at 0.05% WO3 that, in aggregate terms, averaged 0.12% WO3, 310 ppm Mo, 0.15 ppm Au and 6 ppm Ag. This is consistent with the grade predicted by the 2019 Mineral Resource for blocks greater than 0.05% WO3. Lower Tungsten-Molybdenum domain: in addition, the drilling continues to intersect significant polymetallic mineralisation associated with a lower Tungsten-Molybdenum domain that forms a 50 to 120 metre thick zone. Better holes from this zone include 52 metres at 0.21% WO3, 1,010 ppm Mo from 192 metres in MMC482 and 64 metres at 0.12% WO3, 610 ppm Mo from 8 metres in MMC487. Again, holes were drilled perpendicular to mineralisation and intervals represent true thicknesses.
Mulgine Trench Mineral Resource
Resource consultants, Optiro Pty Ltd (Optiro) were engaged to update the Mulgine Trench Mineral Resource with results from the resource definition drilling commenced in July 2019. The update incorporated the drilling results from first 123 reverse circulation (RC) holes received to 22 November 2019.
At a 0.05% WO3 cut-off grade and compared against the previous Mineral Resource estimate, drilling completed by the Company to 22 November 2019 resulted in a 189% increase in tonnes and an increase in contained metal of 97% in tungsten and 211% for molybdenum. In addition, gold and silver (accessory minerals) grades were estimated into the block model and this defined 850,000 ounces of gold and 35 million ounces of silver. The extent of recovery of these accessory minerals is presently uncertain. Metallurgical test work to confirm recoveries for all minerals is in progress as part of the PFS programme and will be reported as the relevant information becomes available.
The Mt Mulgine Project is located in the Murchison Region of Western Australia, approximately 350km north northeast of Perth. The Company owns 100% of the tungsten and molybdenum rights on a group of tenements that have been the subject of significant previous evaluation for tungsten and molybdenum. The Company also has the rights to all by-products from the mining of tungsten and molybdenum. Near surface Mineral Resources have been delineated at the Mulgine Trench and Mulgine Hill deposits, which have been the subject of ongoing evaluation by the Company.
Tungsten-molybdenum mineralisation at Mt Mulgine is associated with the Mulgine Granite - a high-level leucogranite forming a 2km stock that intrudes the Mulgine anticline. The granite intrudes a greenstone sequence composed of micaceous schists, amphibolite and talc-chlorite schist which were formerly metasediments, mafic and ultramafic rocks respectively. Tungsten-molybdenum mineralisation at Mulgine Trench is associated with altered and quartz veined mafic and ultramafic units that form a 160 metre to 260 metre thick zone over 1.4 kilometres of strike and dips shallowly towards the northwest. The RC phase of resource definition RC drilling was completed on 21 February and it is anticipated a small number of diamond tails will be completed by the end of February. An updated Mineral Resource estimate using all new drilling data is planned to be prepared in April 2020. This updated block model will be used for pit optimisation and engineering studies as part of the PFS.
Contact:
Craig Ferrier
Tel: +61 8 9486 8492
About Tungsten Mining
Australian tungsten developer, Tungsten Mining NL is an Australian based resources company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. The Company's prime focus is the exploration and development of tungsten projects in Australia. Tungsten (chemical symbol W), occurs naturally on Earth, not in its pure form but as a constituent of other minerals, only two of which support commercial extraction and processing - wolframite ((Fe, Mn) WO4) and scheelite (CaWO4).
Tungsten has the highest melting point of all elements except carbon - around 3400-degreeC giving it excellent high temperature mechanical properties and the lowest expansion coefficient of all metals. Tungsten is a metal of considerable strategic importance, essential to modern industrial development (across aerospace and defence, electronics, automotive, extractive and construction sectors) with uses in cemented carbides, high-speed steels and super alloys, tungsten mill products and chemicals. Through exploration and acquisition, the Company has established a globally significant tungsten resource inventory in its portfolio of advanced mineral projects across Australia. This provides the platform for the Company to become a major player within the global primary tungsten market through the development of lowcost tungsten concentrate production.
TUNGSTEN MINING NL 
