Sky Metals Uncovers High-Grade Silver-Tin Zone at Tallebung Project
Sky Metals Limited (ASX: SKY) has discovered a significant new zone of shallow, high-grade silver-tin mineralisation at its 100%-owned Tallebung Project in central New South Wales, with exceptional silver grades opening up exciting new possibilities for the deposit.
Record-Breaking Silver Grades Expand Deposit Footprint
The latest RC drilling results have revealed a remarkable new silver-rich zone in the south-eastern extension of the Tallebung deposit, with the southeastern-most drill-hole (TBRC171) returning 3m @ 644g/t silver & 0.96% tin from just 24m depth. This intercept included an exceptional silver value of 1,500g/t – among the highest ever recorded at Tallebung.
Additional high-grade results from the ongoing drilling program include:
- TBRC166: 10m @ 191g/t silver & 0.14% tin from 31m
- TBRC163: 40m @ 0.24% tin from 64m, including 6m @ 0.87% tin from 95m
These results demonstrate the potential for very high-grade silver-tin zones beyond the margins of the known deposit, which remains open in all directions.
| Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Tin (%) | Silver (g/t) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBRC171 | 24 | 27 | 3 | 0.96 | 644 | Includes 1,500g/t Ag |
| TBRC166 | 31 | 41 | 10 | 0.14 | 191 | New high-grade zone |
| TBRC163 | 64 | 104 | 40 | 0.24 | – | Including 6m @ 0.87% Sn |
A Silver Lining for Tallebung's Future
"Like any great deposit, Tallebung is continuing to go from strength to strength the more we drill. The exceptional silver grades encountered in TBRC171, along with excellent tin values, highlight the emerging silver potential at Tallebung and may indicate increasing silver as we continue to expand the deposit to the south-east," said Sky Metals Managing Director & CEO Oliver Davies.
Davies added: "Tin belts around the world are well known for their significant silver potential, exemplified by deposits such as the Potosí deposit of Bolivia, within the Andean tin-tungsten-silver belt. The SKY team is already planning follow-up drilling to investigate this new zone of tin-silver mineralisation."
Understanding Tin-Silver Mineralisation
What is a tin-tungsten-silver belt?
Tin-tungsten-silver belts are geological formations where these metals commonly occur together due to similar formation processes. The most famous example is the Andean tin-tungsten-silver belt in South America, which hosts world-class deposits like Potosí in Bolivia.
These deposits typically form from hydrothermal fluids associated with granitic intrusions. At Tallebung, the mineralisation is believed to be sourced from the Silurian-aged Erimeran granite, which outcrops 2km south of the Tallebung Tin Field.
The presence of high silver values alongside tin suggests that Tallebung may share characteristics with these globally significant deposits, potentially enhancing the project's economic value. Sky Metals' new silver-tin discovery adds significant potential to what was previously considered primarily a tin project. Similarly, Mithril Silver and Gold hits exceptional high-grade gold and silver at their La Soledad project, demonstrating the growing importance of silver in the resources sector.
Extensive Drilling Program Advancing Rapidly
The current drilling program is making excellent progress, with 117 holes completed to date out of a planned 150-hole program. Approximately 41 additional holes are approved for drilling over the coming month.
To date, assay results have been received for 56 of the 117 completed holes, with a steady stream of results expected over the next couple of months as the drilling program advances to completion.
The drilling aims to both expand the deposit beyond its current boundaries and infill the existing Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) area to increase confidence levels. Furthermore, S2 Resources launches major multi-project drilling campaign across Australia, highlighting the industry-wide focus on systematic resource development through extensive drilling programs.
Why Tallebung Stands Out as a Strategic Critical Minerals Project
Tallebung represents a significant opportunity as an open-pit, technology-enabled, near-term tin development project with several key advantages:
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Strategic Metal Focus: Tin is essential for semiconductors, electronics, and solar PV technologies, with rapidly expanding global demand.
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Metallurgical Advantages: The tin at Tallebung occurs as large, discrete grains of simple tin-oxide (cassiterite), enabling low-cost production through exceptional X-ray based ore sorting and simple gravity separation.
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Emerging Silver Potential: The high-grade silver values recently discovered add a valuable by-product credit to future development scenarios. Sky Metals' new silver-tin discovery significantly enhances the economic potential of the project.
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Open-Pit Potential: The shallow nature of the mineralisation suggests potential for low-cost open-pit mining.
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Expansion Potential: The deposit remains open in all directions, with increasing evidence of shallow high-grade zones.
The Technical Attributes of Tallebung's Mineralisation
The Tallebung Tin Field is hosted within weakly metamorphosed Ordovician-aged sediments of the Tallebung Group, including shales, siltstones, carbonaceous mudstones, and minor quartz-rich sandstones. These rocks have been tightly folded along a NNW trend.
The mineralisation is believed to be associated with the nearby Silurian-aged Erimeran granite, which outcrops approximately 2km south of the Tallebung Tin Field. This geological setting has created ideal conditions for the formation of high-grade tin and silver deposits.
The tin-bearing quartz reefs form a well-developed stockwork zone extending for at least 1.6km on a 330° trend. Historically, thicker quartz lodes (>0.5m) were selectively exploited through shafts and shallow open cuts along this trend.
Sky Metals' new silver-tin discovery suggests that the mineralising system may have distinct zonation patterns, with silver becoming more prevalent in certain areas of the deposit. This adds a valuable dimension to the project's potential. In a similar vein, Hammer Metals unveils two major gold-copper discoveries in North Queensland, demonstrating how systematic exploration can reveal multiple valuable commodities within the same system.
Why Investors Should Follow Sky Metals
Sky Metals is rapidly advancing the Tallebung Project toward becoming a significant tin-silver-tungsten development opportunity. The latest high-grade silver discovery adds substantial value to what was already an attractive tin project.
With the current drilling program continuing to deliver outstanding results and expand the deposit footprint, investors can expect a steady flow of news over the coming months. The company has already demonstrated the potential for resource growth, and the emerging silver component adds an exciting new dimension to the project economics.
Recently, Metal Bank achieves 73% gold resource increase at their Livingstone project, showing how systematic drilling and exploration can significantly expand resource estimates. Similarly, Austin Metals identifies new gold targets along strike from their high-grade discovery, highlighting the importance of follow-up exploration to fully realise a project's potential.
Sky Metals will be presenting updates on its exploration activities at the upcoming Resources Rising Stars Twilight Series Events in Sydney (July 29) and Melbourne (July 30), providing investors with opportunities to learn more about this emerging critical minerals story.
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