Silver Mines Limited (ASX: SVL) ('Silver Mines' or 'the Company') is pleased to announce recent assay results from the drilling program at the Bowdens Silver Project located near Mudgee in New South Wales.
This program is targeting high-grade mineralised zones for potential underground mining scenarios.
The mineralised zones lie directly beneath the bulk tonnage Bowdens Silver Ore Reserve currently in the final stages of approval for open-cut mine development. Diamond drilling continues at the Northwest Zone, the Aegean Zone, and the Bundarra Zone. The Aegean to Northwest Zone is dominated by high-grade silver vein systems comprising substantial widths, while the Bundarra Zone is dominated by wide zinc, lead and gold bearing veins with appreciable silver.
Results have been received for ten holes, BD21015 through to BD21025, with most of these holes being within the Northwest and Aegean Zones. Holes BD21015 and BD21017 were drilled to test for southern extensions to the Bundarra Zone towards BD21007. One hole, BD21018 was drilled in the south of the deposit to investigate a gravity anomaly and highlights potential to add to the current resources, notably there is a close association of silver and gold at this location in the deposit.
Northwest and Aegean Zones Results
The Northwest Zone starts approximately 30 metres below the base of the proposed Bowdens Silver open pit. This mineralised zone is targeted for high-grade silver underground mining scenarios with continuation and connectivity to the Aegean Zone
Both zones are defined as shallowly dipping zones 1 metre to 20 metres thick, extending over 450 metres east to west and continuing down plunge/dip to the northwest for at least 300 metres. This entire zone is not yet closed-off with possible extensions along the controlling faults in a north to north-westerly strike. Mineralisation is developed in two clear horizons within the zones with the Aegean Zone being dominated by silver sulphides (acanthite), while the Northwest Zone has a silver and base metal association (zinc, lead and minor copper). Gold is associated with silver in high concentrations in the centre of the Northwest Zone.
Drilling in the Northwest Zone has previously intersected breccia and veined sulphides dominated by silver sulphides, sphalerite (zinc sulphide) and galena (lead sulphide) within the welded tuff of the Rylstone Volcanics (refer releases dated 4th August 2021, 27th July 2021, 14th May 2021 and 28th January 2021). Recent results from BD21025 show continued increasing width of high-grade material with 14 metres @ 264 g/t silver equivalent (240 g/t silver, 0.07% zinc, 0.61% lead) from 322 metres. Additionally, closely spaced wedge drilling for estimation purposes confirms the lateral continuity of mineralisation with 3 metres @ 679 g/t silver equivalent (678 g/t silver) from 306 metres in BD21003A.
Bundarra Zone Results
Drill holes BD21015 and BD21017 were drilled to test southern extents of the Bundarra Zone south of the semi-massive sulphide intersection in BD17011 (refer releases dated 15th March 2017, 11th April 2017, 12th May 2017 and 7th June 2017) and west of more recent BD21007. The Bundarra Zone is a base metal (zinc and lead) dominant sulphide zone below the current silver-zinc-lead resource which represents a hotter part of the Bowdens Silver system. Gold is common in veins throughout the deeper parts of the system where mineralisation is potentially related to, or controlled by, the emplacement of the dacite intrusion into the Rylstone Volcanics and underlying Ordovician Basement sediments.
A large volume below the dacite intrusion has not previously been drilled and this position represents a substantial target for proving resources for underground mining scenarios. Significant intercepts from BD21015 include 1.0 metre @ 513 g/t silver equivalent (126 g/t silver, 2.94% zinc, 4.47% lead and 1.14 g/t gold) from 212 metres, and 1.0 metre @ 357 g/t silver equivalent (53 g/t silver, 2.27% zinc, 3.63% lead and 0.87 g/t gold) from 218 metres, while from BD21017 intercepts include 3.0 metres @ 278 g/t silver equivalent (44 g/t silver, 3.18% zinc, 1.92% lead and 0.15 g/t gold) from 221 metres.
About the Bowdens Silver Project
The Bowdens Silver Project is located in central New South Wales, approximately 26 kilometres east of Mudgee. The consolidated project area comprises 2,007 km2 (496,000 acres) of titles covering approximately 80 kilometres of strike of the highly mineralised Rylstone Volcanics. Multiple target styles and mineral occurrences have potential throughout the district including analogues to Bowdens Silver, high-grade silver-lead-zinc epithermal and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) systems and copper-gold targets. Bowdens Silver is the largest undeveloped silver deposit in Australia with substantial resources and a considerable body of high-quality technical work already completed. The projects boast outstanding logistics for future mine development.
Contact:
Tel: +61 2 8316 3997
SILVER MINES LIMITED 
