Resource World Magazine

42 www.resourceworld.com A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 Group Eleven making strides on Irish zinc exploration by Ellsworth Dickson W hile mining has taken place in Ireland since Roman times, back then silver and copper were the primary metals of interest. However, it was the industrial revolution of the 18 th and 19 th centuries and demand from Britain that spurred wide- spread mining activity that included, coal, iron, copper, lead, silver and zinc mining. Even today, Ireland remains one of Europe's largest zinc producers. It wasn't until recently that opportunities for junior explor- ers opened up and that's where Group Eleven Resources Corp. [ZNG-TSXV] comes in. During the last three years, the company has assembled the largest prospective land position in Ireland – 99 prospecting licenses covering 3,200 km 2 across four project areas. In an interview, Group Eleven CEO, Bart Jaworski, P.Geo., told Resource World that the company's immediate plans are to drill the 60%-owned Ballinalack property to test the Pale Beds target underneath the existing deposit. "Basically there are two perspective horizons," he noted. "The shallower horizon hosts a deposit called the Ballinalack deposit. It is NI 43-101 compliant and hosts about 5 million tonnes of 8.7% combined zinc and lead. A few hundred metres below that first horizon is another hori - zon which, incidentally, is the same horizon that hosts the giant Navan deposit about 50 kilometres away that is currently being mined by Boliden." Jaworski added that Navan has been mined since the late 1970s. "It's that second horizon that also hosts the Navan Beds that we are going to be exploring now to see if whether that hosts a significant amount of mineralization as well, so it's an exciting drill target," Jaworski commented. "Permitting is done and we're just putting the final touches on the 3D model and drill locations while coordinating with our joint venture partner Nonfemet, based in Shenzhen, China. They are a contributing joint venture partner so that 40% of our exploration costs are covered by our Chinese partner." Following the Ballinalack work, Group Eleven's next step will be to move back onto the Limerick trend. "That's the Stonepark and the adjoining PG West ground that we own right next to Glencore's Pallas Green deposit," said Jaworski. "So again, at Stonepark, we also have a second NI 43-101 deposit – about 5 million tonnes as well but higher grade at about 11% lead- zinc combined. It is adjacent to Glencore's Pallas Green deposit which itself is about 45 million tonnes at about 8% zinc and lead combined." Pallas Green is one of the largest undeveloped deposits in the world. "What we've just done in this area is complete a five-hole drill program of about 2,700 metres," said Jaworski. We discov - ered new mineralization about 20 kilometres away from Pallas Green, along the main Pallas Green corridor in an area called Ballywire. Closer to the Pallas Green deposit, we discovered a really thick hydrothermal system with a lot of pyrite and other iron sulphites which may represent the outer edge of a brand new zinc system. We are now analyzing that more fully and waiting for the government airborne survey to be completed." The airborne survey, known as Tellus, is run by the Irish gov - ernment. Results of the survey will be made public sometime this summer or early fall. Jaworski said that the data is what his company is waiting for as it is the last piece to the jigsaw puzzle. "We'll combine the two data sets: our recent drilling plus the geo- physics and that will spur on the next chapter of exploration in this basin," he said. Currently, lead-zinc concentrate is shipped to smelters in Europe from Boliden's Tara zinc-lead mine, the largest in Europe. The mine has shipped concentrate to European smelters since 1977. All the companies that have mined in Ireland have his - torically produced a concentrate and not smelted in the country. Ireland has year-round tide water ports only about an hour's drive from the zinc deposits. "There are smelters in Scandinavia, France, Germany which is a convenient benefit that Group Eleven has over some of the other jurisdictions in the world where you've already racked up your transportation and carbon footprint in terms of transporting all that concentrate," said Jaworski. According to Spiros Cacos, VP of Investor Relations, Group Eleven has about $1 million in its treasury. He said that by devel - oping significant zinc and lead resources in Ireland, Group Eleven Resources may attract major mining companies interested in the projects or the company itself. n Luke Holland, Junior Geologist, left, and Dr. Mark Holdstock, Project Manager, looking at recent drill core from the Ballinalack Project, located 50 km west of Navan, the largest zinc deposit in Europe. The Ballinalack Project is 60% owned by Group Eleven and 40% owned by Nonfemet, the largest zinc producer in China. Photo courtesy Group Eleven Resources Corp. MINING

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