Tin developer, Elementos Ltd has established a collaborative research and development project to trial a high tech mapping system at its Cleveland tin mine footprint in northwest Tasmania. Elementos has joined with Australian geophysical services company, Geo9 Pty Ltd, to evaluate the application of Geo9’s innovative geophysical mapping systems across the Cleveland site.

Positive trial outcomes are expected to assist Elementos identify and broaden future exploration targets and resource expansion opportunities in the Cleveland project area.

Under the collaborative field trial and analytical phases, Geo9 will use its portable geophysical mapping equipment to generate high-resolution 3D maps of the Cleveland orebodies at depths of up to 400 m, allowing more finite and efficient selection of follow-up drill targets and resource inventory development.

Geo9 is a world-leader in the application and interpretation of portable, ground-based geophysical mapping systems. Although Geo9 has successfully applied its systems to groundwater, energy exploration, dam seepage, liquid solution contamination and geotechnical applications, the Cleveland trial will be a world-first in applying the innovative Geo9 equipment for mineral exploration.

Whereas traditional magnetotelluric mapping typically takes hours or days to complete, the Geo9 electroseismic and magnetotelluric data can be collected in a matter of minutes. The highly portable Geo9 equipment is also uniquely suited to the steep and densely forested terrain that covers Elementos’ Cleveland tin mine site.

Elementos is an Australian, ASX-listed metals company, focused on the development of Cleveland, an advanced stage tin-copper and tungsten project.

Elementos is developing the Cleveland project through a staged low-capital development strategy:

• Stage 1: tailings project (tin-copper)
• Stage 2: open pit project (tin-copper)
• Stage 3: underground project (tin-copper-tungsten)

The staged development strategy minimises upfront capital, funds future stages from established cashflow, and maximises the benefits of capital expenditures from earlier stages. Cleveland is situated at Luina, approximately 60 km from the port of Burnie. Northwest Tasmania has well-developed infrastructure and a strong mining culture. The site is linked to the port of Burnie and other major population centres on the northwest coast by sealed all-weather roads. Accessible power runs through the Cleveland mine site, and there is abundant water available for use. The Burnie region has a large pool of available and experienced workforce.

Historically, Cleveland was an underground tin and copper mine operated by Aberfoyle between 1968 and 1986. During the life of the Cleveland operations, Aberfoyle mined and treated 5.7 Mt of ore, producing approximately 24,000 t of tin and 10,000 t of copper in concentrate. The mine closed in 1986 due to falling metal prices, leaving a fully developed and partially mined tin-copper deposit, an undeveloped tungsten deposit, and both deposits open at depth and along strike.

Recent technical studies by Elementos confirm a technically achievable and commercially viable project at current spot prices. The 3-staged strategy provides an Integrated Mine Plan, with a mine life of >15 years, which uses only 53% of current JORC Mineral Resources. With additional resource available, and substantial exploration upside, the project provides the company a long-life asset (>20yrs), in a low risk jurisdiction. Elementos believes “Cleveland is a company-defining asset, which will position the company to acquire advanced projects as the mining cycle enters an upward trend.”

Tailings Mineral Resource (at 0% Sn cutoff)

Indicated 3.8 Mt at 0.30% Sn and 0.13% Cu

Tailings Ore Reserve (at 0% Sn cutoff)

Probable 3.7 Mt at 0.29% Sn and 0.13% Cu

Open pit tin-copper Mineral Resource (at 0.35% Sn cutoff)

Indicated 0.8 Mt at 0.81% Sn and 0.27% Cu

Inferred 0.01 Mt at 0.99% Sn and 0.34% Cu

Underground tin-copper Mineral Resource (at 0.35% Sn cutoff)

Indicated 4.2 Mt at 0.67% Sn and 0.28% Cu

Inferred 2.4 Mt at 0.56% Sn and 0.19% Cu

Underground tungsten Mineral Resource (at 0.20% WO3 cutoff)

Inferred 4 Mt at 0.30% WO3