- BBX Minerals (BBX) has begun a 2500-metre diamond drilling program at the Três Estados and Ema Gold Projects in Brazil’s Apuí region
- The drilling program and analytical testwork have been delayed by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
- The 50-hole program is now starting at the western end of the Três Estados project
- Both Três Estados and Ema are prospective for gold, silver and platinum group elements (PGEs), so a multi-element analytical method needed to be developed
- Pandemic restrictions have affected logistics, the supply of reagents and personnel availability, so the process has faced substantial delays
- The engineering design of a metallurgical test plant by Onix Engineering is currently being restarted, having also suffered setbacks
- BBX Minerals is up 1.23 per cent to 41 cents just before Monday’s closing bell
BBX Minerals (BBX) has begun a 2500-metre diamond drilling program at the Três Estados and Ema Gold Projects in Brazil’s Apuí region.
COVID delays
The drilling program and analytical testwork have been delayed by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The drilling had been scheduled to start at the end of September, but the gravity of Brazil’s outbreak has hampered proceedings.
The 50-hole program is now starting at the western end of the Três Estados project.
The drilling is designed to infill and extend previously tested areas and to test a number of new areas at both projects.
BBX has had to engage the Sâo Paulo state research institute, IPT, to assist developing analytical techniques for samples from the two projects.
Both Três Estados and Ema are prospective for gold, silver and platinum group elements (PGEs), so a multi-element analytical method needed to be developed outside of BBX’s basic facilities in Rio de Janeiro.
This process too had been slowed by pandemic restrictions affecting logistics, supply of reagents and personnel availability.
Results of IPT’s analysis are still expected.
In the meantime, BBX has continued to fine-tune its analytical and extraction technique in conjunction with another leading commercial laboratory.
Next steps
Whichever process is deemed to be the best will will be used by an independent commercial assay laboratory to conduct ongoing routine analysis of drill samples.
The engineering design of a metallurgical test plant by Onix Engineering is currently being restarted, having also suffered pandemic-related delays. Work is still being restricted, though it is at least inching forward again.
Assay results from the new drilling program will be released as they come to hand.
BBX Minerals is up 1.23 per cent to 41 cents just before Monday’s closing bell.