- Variscan Mines (VAR) receives government approval to drill over the Buenahora licence area within the Novales-Udias Project in northern Spain
- The surface drilling permit approves VAR’s initial drilling program consisting of up to 50 drill-holes
- Local council approval is required before drilling can commence and the company hopes to receive this by the end of November
- Preparatory work for the surface drill program is underway, with drilling expected to commence in two months to test zinc mineralisation
- Shares closed 5 per cent higher at 6.3 cents apiece
Variscan Mines (VAR) has received government approval to drill over the Buenahora license area within the Novales-Udias Project in northern Spain.
Granting of the surface drilling permit from the Government of Cantabria’s Department of Mines gives VAR approval for an initial drilling program consisting of up to 50 drill-holes.
However Variscan needs to obtain the local council approvals before drilling can commence. The company hopes these approvals will be granted on or around the end of November.
VAR said the working relationship it had built with the Government’s Department of Mines throughout the approval process had been positive. It expects to continue working closely as development of the project progresses.
Managing Director and CEO Stewart Dickson said Government approval for the drilling campaign is an important milestone in the company’s efforts to explore and develop its Spanish zinc assets.
Preparatory work for the surface drill program is underway, with drilling expected to commence in two months to test zinc mineralisation along strike and at depth over the Novales Trend and sub-parallel mineral trend over the project area.
A geophysical survey of surface drill targets over the licence area is poised to help the company understand the drill targets as well as identify new targets.
VAR is also hoping to generate additional regional prospectivity and increase the project’s scale.
The program is set to run concurrently with the underground drilling program already underway at the San Jose mine which is seeking to discover new mineralised lenses of high grade zinc.
Shares closed 5 per cent higher at 6.3 cents apiece.