Sienna Resources Inc., Vancouver, Canada, (SIE—TSX.v) (A1XCQ0–FSE) (SNNAF—OTCBB) has announced that the drill program on its flagship PGE-Ni-Cu Slättberg project has commenced. The platinum-group element – PGE-Ni-Cu enriched mineralization at Slättberg, Sweden, remains open at depth and along strike. The abundance of sulfide, higher PGE values, and a swarm of mafic dikes suggest that Sienna is moving closer to a source area for the sulfide mineralization and associated mafic intrusions as it drills to progressively deeper levels. The current drill program (1000m) will test the continuation of the PGE-Ni-Cu massive sulfide mineralization in the western part with 2 to 3 drill holes (see figure). Another drill hole will follow-up the highly interesting results of SIE-19-002 together with a strong down-hole EM response west of SIE-18-003.
Jason Gigliotti, President of Sienna Resources Inc. states, “we are pleased to start this much anticipated drill program. We have gained significant knowledge of the property and have methodically progressed to this stage of drilling. We have the highest priority drill targets now set and we are optimistic how this drill program will turn out. When we drilled in the fall of 2019, we had a weak and declining market whereas this time around the market is significantly more buoyant and trending positive at a time of historically high commodity prices. Not only are we drilling here in Sweden we have just acquired the Kuusamo PGE-Ni-Cu-Co Project in Finland and are formulating plans for initial work programs to commence. We are partnered with EMX Royalty Corporation (EMX-NYSE) on these two projects.”
Slättberg is located 25 kilometers northwest of Falun, Sweden. Slättberg is a historic mining camp hosting cobalt and PGE enriched nickel-copper sulfide mineralization that occurs along a two kilometer belt of historic nickel-copper mines. The Project contains drill defined zones of massive sulfide mineralization that extends to ~100 meters in depth (also the approximate depth of historic mining in the area), and remains open for expansion at depth and along strike. The Project is accessible year round, with nearby rail, power and 5 smelters in the Nordic region. At least 16 historic mines are located on the property, with historic operations dating back to the late 1800’s.
Sienna conducted two drilling campaigns at Slättberg in 2018 and 2019 totaling 9 drill holes (1319m). Multiple drill holes intersected sulfide mineralization in the western part of the trend (figure 1), often present as massive sulfide veins and in breccias, associated with, an unusually thick swarm of mafic dikes. Textures in the sulfide intervals are suggestive of tectonic remobilization of sulfides along structures from a nearby source. SIE-19-002, targeting the central part of the mineralization trend, intersected a PGE rich vein (0.55m from 88.0 m to 88.55 m, averaging 0.22% Ni, 1.79% Cu, 4.05 g/t Pt and 0.095 g/t Pd. This represents one of the highest values ever reported from the property, demonstrating the strong PGE potential for the Project as well.
A key observation from the 2018 and 2019 drilling is that the thicknesses of dikes in the dike swarm and zones of sulfide veins and breccias increase with depth in the drill holes. Further, the textures seen in the zones of mineralization indicate remobilization of sulfides from a nearby, as of yet undiscovered source (or sources). These fundamental observations are driving the continued push to drill deeper and further along strike in the system, especially on the western end of the trend, where indications are strongest.
Geology of the Slättberg project
Mineralization at Slättberg is hosted by 1.8-1.9 Ga (Svecofennian) supracrustal rocks (granitoids, meta-volcanics and meta-sediments) located along the southwestern flank of a large gabbroic intrusive complex. The historic mines are positioned along an east-west trend of massive sulfide occurrences developed in and around medium-coarse-grained granites as well as interlayers of fine-grained rhyolitic/felsic tuffaceous rocks commonly associated with sulfide mineralization in Bergslagen. Multiple mafic dikes of variable thickness and ultramafic rocks also occur in and around the massive sulfide mineralization.