Tennant Minerals Ltd (ASX: TMS) has announced exceptional gold-bismuth-copper intersection results from its latest diamond drilling at the Bluebird discovery, part of the company’s 100%-owned Barkly Project in the Northern Territory. Tennant Minerals Ltd is a mineral exploration company focused on developing high-grade copper-gold-bismuth discoveries within the historically rich Tennant Creek Mineral Field. The new drilling, specifically hole BBDD0050, has yielded a rich intersection of 18 metres grading 10.1 grams per tonne gold equivalent (AuEq*), comprising 4.1 g/t gold, 1.9% copper, and 1.0% bismuth, from 178 metres downhole.
This significant intersection notably includes a spectacular higher-grade zone of 4.55 metres at 34.5 g/t AuEq* (15.5 g/t gold, 4.0% copper, and 3.6% bismuth), starting from the same depth. Within this zone, a peak assay of 0.55 metres revealed extraordinary grades of 42.6 g/t gold, 9.6% copper, and 12.2% bismuth from 182 metres. The high bismuth grades are particularly noteworthy given global market conditions, with bismuth currently trading at over $60,000 per tonne due to recent export controls from China. These initial results from BBDD0050 successfully extend the high-grade gold-bismuth zone down-plunge of Bluebird’s recently announced open-pit Mineral Resource.
The company highlighted that the newly extended mineralisation remains open to the west, where it is projected to intersect a large gravity high. This geological feature suggests the potential for the mineralised ironstone to continue for over 400 metres, which could significantly expand the Bluebird footprint. Tennant Minerals has submitted an application to the Northern Territory government for co-funding to test this promising target zone. Furthermore, the new drill core will provide samples for ongoing metallurgical test-work, aiming to enhance and optimise the recovery of gold and bismuth. This work forms a crucial part of the Tennant Creek Copper Alliance’s efforts to establish a multi-user processing facility in the region, which is expected to lower operating costs and enhance project viability.
