Tertiary Minerals gets provisional sampling results from Jacks

Explorer and developer Tertiary Minerals announced provisional results from its detailed soil sampling at the Jacks Copper Project in Zambia on Tuesday, as well as the definition of multiple copper soil anomalies in different areas of the exploration licence.

The AIM-traded firm said the sampling programme was completed on schedule and budget, with 1,807 samples collected on a 200 metre-by-40 metre spacing over four separate grids.

It said pXRF elemental analysis of samples in the field gave real time data, defined soil anomalies and allowed for immediate follow up sampling.

Follow-up sampling was carried out on three of the four grids at 100 metre-by-40 metre spacing, with multiple soil anomalies defined with a peak value of 535 parts of copper per million, and with sufficient ground control to allow for drill testing.

The board said the results compared “favourably” with soil anomalies in the vicinity of various ore zones at current and past producing mines on the copper belt.

It added that the results from the pXRF analysis were regarded as provisional, with check samples now being sent to a South African laboratory for traditional wet-chemical analysis.

“The soil sampling programme went smoothly, thanks to our contractor GeoQuest and our local partner Mwashia Resources,” said executive chairman Patrick Cheetham.

“We are delighted with the results obtained to date, which, although provisional, have defined multiple soil anomalies in favourable Lower Roan stratigraphy that are of the same order of magnitude as those reported to occur in the vicinity of ore-zones at past and currently operating mines elsewhere in the copper belt.

“Jacks is one of five projects in Zambia where we currently have an interest and we expect to issue an update shortly regarding our wider Zambia portfolio.”

At 1138 GMT, shares in Tertiary Minerals were down 4.78% at 0.2p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.