Apollo Minerals Ltd
- ASX Code: AON
- Market Cap: $79,377,028
Apollo Minerals Expands Tungsten Target Footprint at Historic Salau Mine, Unlocking New High-Grade Zones
Apollo Minerals (ASX: AON) has reported the identification of additional zones of unmined tungsten mineralisation at its Couflens Tungsten-Gold Project in southern France, following a detailed review of historical data from the former Salau mine. The Apollo Minerals expands tungsten target footprint at Salau mine France story centres on the newly defined Veronique-Upper Zone and Eagle Zone, which have expanded the targeting footprint of the historic mine and point to a larger scale mineralised system than previously mapped.
Salau was historically one of the world's highest-grade tungsten operations, with mining grades averaging 1.5% WO3 over 15 years of production from 1971 to 1986, producing approximately 930,000 tonnes of ore. The Couflens project covers a 42km² exploration licence centred on the historic mine and is wholly owned by Apollo Minerals through its French subsidiary, Variscan Mines SAS.
Managing Director Neil Inwood commented: "Our review of historical data from the Salau mine continues to identify additional target areas for unmined mineralisation, with tungsten grades significantly higher than many current modern tungsten mines. Combined with the extensional targeting around the previously reported high-grade Veronique Zone, the newly identified areas demonstrate the significant exploration potential of the globally unique Couflens high-grade tungsten project."
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What Has Been Found: The New Zones Explained
The centrepiece of the announcement is the newly defined Veronique-Upper Zone, identified through Apollo's ongoing digitisation and review of historical drill core data sourced from the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM) archives in Orléans. According to the company, over 10,000 pages of historical information have now been captured, including records from 950 diamond drill holes and 2,700 underground face samples.
Key highlights from the review include:
- The Veronique-Upper Zone exhibits intercepts of up to 4.3m at 1.3% WO3, with multiple intervals of unsampled historical core displaying logged mineralisation
- The zone extends along strike of the high-grade Veronique Zone (20m at 1.4% WO3), with trends interpreted over 400m along strike and 600m along dip
- The Veronique Zone itself was reportedly mined at 2.5% WO3 in Salau's final year of operation
- The Eagle Zone (Quer de l'Aigle) has also been identified, sitting within a structurally complex position adjacent to the granodiorite contact, with scheelite mineralisation associated with a combination of skarn, sulphides and structural positions
Furthermore, Salau's historical operators applied a mining cut-off grade of approximately 0.7% WO3, which is substantially higher than the cut-off grades used at many modern tungsten operations. This suggests that material previously classed as sub-economic may warrant renewed attention, and that unsampled intervals — where geologists logged mineralisation without assaying it — could represent additional upside yet to be quantified.
Selected Intercepts at a Glance
The table below summarises selected historical tungsten results from the newly reviewed zones, as disclosed in the announcement.
| Hole ID | From (m) | Interval (m) | WO3 (%) | Grade x Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SN408 | 9.55 | 4.3 | 1.3% | 5.9 |
| SN411 | 22.05 | 0.9 | 1.4% | 1.2 |
| SN456 | 44.21 | 6.6 | 0.9% | 5.7 |
| SN450 | 19.01 | 10.0 | 0.4% | 4.4 |
| SN454 | 51.73 | 4.5 | 0.7% | 3.3 |
| SN457 | 40.44 | 4.5 | 0.7% | 3.0 |
These results sit alongside previously reported intercepts from the Veronique Zone, which include 20.0m at 1.4% WO3, 9.2m at 2.1% WO3 and 5.1m at 3.0% WO3. The company says these grades compare favourably with active tungsten operations globally.
Understanding Tungsten Skarn Deposits
What Is a Skarn Deposit?
A skarn forms when hot, metal-bearing fluids — typically linked to a granitic intrusion — react chemically with surrounding carbonate rocks such as limestone. This reaction produces new minerals, including scheelite (calcium tungstate), which is the primary tungsten ore mineral at Salau.
At Couflens, the La Fourque granodiorite is understood to have supplied the tungsten-bearing fluids that reacted with Devonian carbonate sediments to form the skarn. The deposit hosts two distinct styles of mineralisation, according to the announcement:
- Skarn scheelite, associated with the Bois d'Anglade Zone, typically grading between 0.1% and 1.0% WO3
- Massive sulphide plus scheelite, associated with the Veronique Zone, carrying grades exceeding 1.5% WO3 and also hosting gold
Why Does This Matter for Investors?
High-grade tungsten skarn deposits are relatively rare globally. Salau's historical production profile, averaging 1.5% WO3 over 15 years, places it among a limited group of tungsten systems worldwide with such grades. Consequently, this can support lower-cost, higher-value mining operations compared with many currently operating tungsten mines.
Key Terms Glossary
- WO3 refers to tungsten trioxide, the standard unit used to express tungsten grade in ore
- Scheelite is the primary tungsten ore mineral, calcium tungstate
- Grade x thickness is a composite figure multiplying grade by intercept length to indicate the relative richness of a drill intersection
- Cut-off grade is the minimum grade at which mineralisation is considered economic to mine
- PER (Permis Exclusif de Recherches) is a French exploration licence granting exclusive exploration rights over a defined area
Why the Unsampled Intervals Matter
A notable aspect of Apollo's data review is the identification of drill holes where mineralisation was logged by geologists but never assayed. This occurred because historical operators used a visual threshold for sampling, typically requiring visible scheelite or massive sulphide, combined with a mining cut-off of approximately 0.7% WO3.
The result, according to the company, is a dataset with meaningful gaps, particularly in:
- Intervals where scheelite was logged in core but not sampled
- Zones where skarn contacts were intersected without assaying
- Holes drilled into interpreted mineralised zones where no lithological or mineralogical data was recorded
Apollo has stated that these unsampled zones are interpreted to have potential to contain further mineralisation. Numerous holes in the Veronique-Upper and Eagle zones fall into this category, annotated in historical drill tables as "logged scheelite," "logged skarn" or "target position."
This dynamic — where conservative historical sampling protocols may have understated the extent of mineralisation — is viewed by the company as an opportunity to reassess the scale of the system through systematic modern drilling.
What Comes Next: Phase 1 Drilling and Permitting Progress
Planning is underway for a Phase 1 drill program focused on the Veronique and Veronique-Upper zones. According to the announcement, the program's objectives include:
- Expanding known mineralisation in the unmined Veronique and Veronique-Upper zones
- Twinning existing historical drill holes to verify historical data under modern reporting standards
- Testing the potential mineralised width of the broader deposit
- Evaluating geochemical characteristics beyond tungsten, including gold, to support future 3D modelling
- Advancing metallurgical and mining studies through improved understanding of the deposit's geochemical domains
The company noted that historically drilled zones below the 1430 Level were accessed from underground development positions that remain available to Apollo, which may reduce the infrastructure requirements for initial drill access. In addition, activities relating to permitting, environmental studies and safety protocols for underground exploration are also progressing, according to the release.
| Upcoming Milestone | Details |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 drill program | Focus on Veronique and Veronique-Upper zones; twinning, expansion and width testing |
| Geochemical evaluation | Assessment of gold and multi-element characteristics for future modelling |
| Permitting and environmental studies | Ongoing, including safety protocols for underground operations |
| 4km trend validation | Next phase of historical data review targeting the broader exploration corridor |
| Airborne geophysical survey | Magnetic and radiometric survey planned over priority areas |
| Underground channel sampling | Targeting accessible mine areas to help define mineralised zones |
The Investment Case: Scale, Grade and a System Reported as Open at Depth
Apollo Minerals is building an exploration case centred on a historically significant European tungsten address. Several factors are relevant to the investment proposition.
Historical Grade Benchmark
Salau operated at average grades of 1.5% WO3, a level the company describes as exceeding most currently operating tungsten mines globally. The Veronique Zone alone was reportedly mined at 2.5% WO3 in its final year, with historical intercepts such as 5.1m at 3.0% WO3 pointing to potential for high-grade zones to persist in unmined areas.
Is the System Still Open at Depth?
Historical underground drilling below the 1230 Level access adit recorded tungsten-bearing skarn intersections interpreted as the down-plunge continuation of the Veronique ore system. The system is interpreted by the company to remain open at depth, which represents a considerable area of additional potential.
Gold Upside
Gold was identified at Salau late in the mine's operating life and is associated with the same east-west trending fault structures that host Veronique-style tungsten mineralisation. Historical assaying in the lower Veronique ore zone returned results including 8.5m at 3.4g/t gold and 2% WO3, a combination the company notes could enhance the project's overall economic profile. However, gold remains largely unquantified at this stage.
Historical Sampling Limitations
The combination of visual-threshold sampling and a 0.7% WO3 cut-off means the historical dataset is considered incomplete. Systematic sampling of previously unassayed intervals could add to the known mineralised inventory ahead of new drilling.
A 4km Mineralised Corridor
Beyond the Veronique and Bois d'Anglade systems, the broader 4km trend within the Couflens licence area contains scheelite skarn and gold occurrences at surface that remain largely untested, according to the announcement.
Underground Infrastructure
With approximately 24km of historical underground development across seven levels, Apollo has existing access infrastructure. Drilling from existing underground positions is expected to be more cost-effective than establishing equivalent access from surface.
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Why Investors Should Keep Watching Apollo Minerals
Apollo Minerals has outlined a data-driven approach to reassessing one of Europe's historically significant high-grade tungsten systems, working through more than 10,000 pages of historical records to identify zones that were not mined under the economic assumptions applied at the time.
The Couflens project's combination of historical grades, multiple unmined zones, interpreted depth continuity, potential gold credits and a largely underexplored licence area positions it as a distinct asset within the global tungsten exploration sector.
Key takeaway: Apollo Minerals (ASX: AON) holds a 100% interest in the Couflens Tungsten-Gold Project in France, centred on the former Salau mine, historically one of the world's highest-grade tungsten operations at 1.5% WO3. The identification of new unmined zones in the Veronique-Upper and Eagle areas, alongside an extensive inventory of historically unsampled mineralised intervals, points to a system the company considers larger than previously mapped. With Phase 1 drilling in planning and gold upside yet to be fully evaluated, the project is one for investors focused on tungsten and critical minerals exploration to continue monitoring.
Want to Know More About Apollo Minerals' High-Grade Tungsten Project in France?
Apollo Minerals (ASX: AON) is advancing one of Europe's most historically significant tungsten addresses, with new unmined zones identified at the former Salau mine and a Phase 1 drill programme in planning. For investors seeking exposure to a high-grade critical minerals project with multiple exploration catalysts on the horizon, the full details — including the latest ASX announcements — are available directly from the company. Head to Apollo Minerals' investor page to stay across the latest developments at the Couflens Tungsten-Gold Project.
