Aim-listed Rome Resources has made progress with drilling at its Mont Agoma prospect, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with initial assessment from the cores said to be promising for both copper and tin.

Mont Agoma is polymetallic tin/copper/zinc prospect located in the North Kivu province in the DRC, which, together with the Kalayi prospect and the Mont Agoma Northwest prospect, comprise the Bisie North projects.

The ongoing drilling campaign follows the success of the outstanding MADD10A hole, which intersected significant high-grade copper, zinc, silver and tin mineralisation, further highlighting the Mont Agoma prospect's considerable potential, the company states.

MADD016 hole was terminated early owing to stuck rods at 46 m, but entered the tin zone.

MADD016A hole successfully redrilled to 242.5 m. The company highlights encountering a 67 m wide tin, copper and zinc  zone between at 47 m and 113 m.

Copper mineralisation was present in discrete intervals within this tin-polymetallic zone and additionally in several intervals below the tin zone to 220 m.

MADD017 hole, drilling at 143 m depth currently in the tin, copper and zinc zone, have encountered several tin-bearing intervals with a concentration of cassiterite (tin) veins between 117 m and 140 m. A notable copper zone was encountered between 98 m and 113 m.

MADD018 is drilling above the anticipated mineralised zone at 27 m.

Drill samples are flowing to ALS Johannesburg, with drill site core assessments said to be “highly promising”.

Rome Resources reports that two drill rigs remain operational at Mont Agoma.

Promising tin, copper and zinc indications have been identified in MADD016A and MADD017, with on-site Niton X-ray fluorescent portable analyser readings suggesting nonvisible disseminated mineralisation.

Current indications are that there is a significant increase in widths of tin mineralisation in the southeasternmost holes along strike and at depth. Grades will be confirmed in laboratory analysis.

Separately, drilling at Kalayi is ongoing and a further announcement will be made in due course.

“Drilling continues apace at both Kalayi and Mont Agoma. The flow of samples for assay reporting is continuing, with the first batch now at ALS Johannesburg. Initial assessments from the cores continue to be very promising, in terms of both tin and copper indications and we look forward to being able to update the market as soon as laboratory analyses become available.

“We are encouraged by what appears to be a marked increase in tin mineralisation as drilling progresses towards the southeast and at deeper levels. The directors of Rome Resources believe that the strong association of tin and copper mineralisation further supports our analogy with San Rafael, in Peru, which commenced operations as a copper mine before passing through a transition zone of tin and copper,” says CEO Paul Barret.

“We see ourselves within a similar transition zone and given the extent of the broad zone of sulphide mineralisation, believe we have significant discovery potential,” he adds.