Sumitomo gives drilling at Speewah fluorite project nod of approval

Tivan Limited (ASX: TVN) has commenced its first phase of drilling at the Speewah fluorite project in WA, with contractor DDH1 Drilling beginning diamond drilling earlier this week.

This follows on from the pre-feasibility study completed in July this year that assessed the viability of a mining and processing operation of fluorite ore to produce acid grade fluorspar.

A detailed phased drill plan including exploration, resource extension, metallurgical testwork, geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling then ensued, with Tivan commencing ground-disturbing works to facilitate the drill plan three weeks ago.

Tivan executive chairman Grant Wilson says the company is “delighted to have commenced the drill campaign at the project well ahead of the arrival of the wet season”.

“With the ongoing support of DDH1 and Ngarranggarni Civil and Mining, we are making excellent progress,” he said.

“The timely commence of the drill campaign is highly supportive of our project schedule and has been well received by Sumitomo Corporation, our strategic alliance partner for the Speewah fluorite project.”

The first phase of the drilling program prioritises metallurgical testwork drilling, with up to 11 diamond drill holes planned across the existing resources to provide core sampling for further testwork for the next stage of the project development and resource management.