A Look Back At Our Exploration Success
Exploration is one of the key stages in the mining lifecycle. This is where the services of geologists and mine specialists are enlisted to understand the characteristics of the land being prospected for mineral deposits. Mapping, sampling, and detailing the type of ore and grade held below the surface, all form part of this process. The exploration stage concluded for the Rovina Valley Project was no different.
Our exploration team had to deal with extreme weather conditions at times
SAMAX, the local Romanian company representing Euro Sun Mining, began to identify potential in the area in 2004. With the granting of their Rovina Exploration License in 2005, an exhaustive programme of exploration with core sampling took place. The exploration programme was completed in 2012. In that time, an astonishing 281 drill holes were drilled, generating a total of 138,591.33 meters of core samples taken.
A look back at the incredible team that produced one of the most extensive exploration studies ever conducted in the Rovina Valley
Dr Sorin Halga, General Director, representing Euro Sun Mining, remembers fondly SAMAX’s period of exploration and the challenges endured to deliver an outline of the potential deposit size. ‘For our project, we employed all the classic exploration methods such as Geochem soil sampling, geological mapping, rock chip sampling, ground geophysics and core drilling’ he explains. He continues saying that the biggest challenge was at the Ciresata site where mineralisation does not outcrop, but here develops between 60 to 120 meters below surface. ‘It took enormous skill and imagination to properly understand and identify this ore body’, he articulates proudly. Here, the surface geochemical signature was weak compared to that of Rovina and Colnic, so this pushed all theoretical and physical drilling boundaries. Dr Halga added that the harsh winter weather conditions sometimes faced by the team also helped forge exploration experiences that we all still remember to this day.
All the data captured during our exploration phase has been digitized and is stored for reference. This is vital resource is then available for any new computerised geological interpretations required. Using dedicated software, it is now possible for the Euro Sun Mining’s engineers to call upon this information when needed to model new mining techniques and development phases.
Samples being labelled for analysis
Another vital resource are the actual physical core samples themselves. Every core meter sample taken was initially cut along its axis. One half of this went to a certified laboratory for analysis, all the other halves have been meticulously stored within our impressive sampling sheds in Criscior. These secure structures keep an inventory of every rock sample taken, all neatly categorised. This physical reference is for any future geologist needing to check and correlate the geological formations between drill holes, or to re-interpret the geological models. Our core sample facility also conforms to Romanian legislation which dictates that we keep all our samples ready for inspection for a minimum of 5 years after mine closure, the last phase in any mining lifecycle.
The Impressive Euro Sun Mining Exploration facility in the town of Criscior
For Euro Sun Mining, the benefit of having such an extensive drill sample programme completed is far-reaching. The overarching benefit is that production predictions and return-on-investment calculations are more accurate. With such extensive information to draw upon, the overall mine plan also has less variants and is more predictable. Of interest is that all our sample results have been independently verified. This verification is also in keeping with the ‘National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects’, a security instrument that governs how Euro Sun Mining discloses mining information on the Canadian Stock Exchange.
Euro Sun Mining has an extensive facility housing thousands of catalogued samples
For the Rovina Valley Project, all potential areas of interest have been investigated. We must however continue to celebrate what was achieved during the exploration phase as it remains one of the best-in-class ever conducted in Romania. Our next phase is the mine construction once all the necessary permitting is concluded.