Empire Mining has reported the initial underground diamond drilling results from the Bulqiza chromite project in Albania.
The drill hole ETH-002, which is collared at -50°, has encountered 41.98% Cr2O3 over 4.85 m having a proportion of chrome to iron as 3.24:1. The obtained grades lie in the high quality metallurgical ores category, when combined with high magnesia and low alumina.
The company has completed four holes in the ongoing drill program and the assay results for ETH-001, 003 and 004 are pending. The present drilling is being executed at Thekna Gallery 25, situated in the Bulqiza-Batra Licence and is intended to confirm the reported widths and grades of a 300,000T historical resource in an Albanian state with a grading of 45% Cr2O3.
The results from the hole ETH-002 is in line with the state drilling results and the company has intersected 40.7% Cr2O3 over 9.7 m away from hole ETH-002 and 42% Cr2O3 over 3.0 m and 46.03% Cr2O3 over 4.5 m.
The intercept was received from the hole ETH-002 at a depth of 312.35 to 317.2 m. Empire considers several alternatives to progress the exploration and advancement in the eventual mining and medium term, the alternatives include access from current infrastructure near the mineralization and access decline from the Thekna level 25 adit.
Preliminary signs shows that the geology at Thekna is structurally complex, having potential for fault and fold tectonics that are identical to those examined in the main Bulqiza-Batra region and with analogous prospective for the historical resource growth.
Source: http://www.empireminingcorp.com/