Stellar Resources Delivers Major Resource Upgrade at Heemskirk Tin Project
Stellar Resources (ASX: SRZ) has announced significant high-grade tin results from its first wedge hole at the Severn deposit, part of its flagship Heemskirk Tin Project in Western Tasmania. The results demonstrate the company's effective resource conversion strategy while confirming the robust nature of this world-class tin asset.
The high-grade tin find by Stellar Resources Ltd represents a critical milestone in the company's development journey. With this discovery, Stellar continues to build confidence in its flagship project while advancing toward potential production in a market experiencing supply constraints.
The first wedge hole (ZS187W1B) has successfully intersected a significant 25-meter wide zone of tin mineralisation, including a high-grade core of 4m @ 1.26% Sn from 546m, which includes 2m @ 1.92% Sn from 547m and a spectacular 1m @ 2.75% Sn.
These results represent a direct validation of Stellar's infill drilling strategy, which aims to systematically convert areas within the current Inferred Resource to the higher-confidence Indicated category.
"This is a solid result from our first wedge hole and a direct validation of our infill drilling strategy. Hitting a 25-metre zone of tin with a high-grade core of 4 metres at 1.26% tin confirms that our geological model is robust and gives us great confidence as we continue the resource conversion program as part of the Prefeasibility Study," said Managing Director Simon Taylor.
The company's current drilling campaign comprises 29 holes (approximately 12,000m) of diamond drilling focused on infilling and extending the 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate. To date, Stellar has completed 26 holes and wedges for a total of 11,215m with two rigs currently operating.
The high-grade tin find by Stellar Resources Ltd is particularly significant as it:
A second wedge hole (ZS187W1C) has already been completed with assays pending, and a third wedge hole (ZS187W2) is now underway targeting 45m south of the parent hole with the intention of drilling additional wedges.
Wedge drilling represents a sophisticated exploration technique that allows multiple targets to be tested from a single parent hole. This approach is particularly valuable in deep drilling environments where establishing new drill pads and drilling complete holes is costly and time-consuming.
In this case, Stellar has wedged off the parent hole ZS187 (which previously returned 64.4m @ 0.53% Sn) to target specific zones within the deposit. The technique involves setting a wedge in the parent hole and deflecting the drill bit at a specific angle to intersect a different portion of the target zone.
This approach offers several advantages:
Wedge drilling is a technique where multiple drill holes branch out from a single parent hole, similar to branches from a tree trunk. After drilling the initial parent hole, a wedge-shaped device is inserted at a specific depth, forcing the drill bit to deviate at a predetermined angle.
This creates a new hole path that can target different parts of a mineral deposit from a single surface collar position. It's important for exploration because it allows companies to test multiple target zones while minimising surface disturbance, reducing drilling costs, and increasing efficiency—especially valuable when drilling deep targets or in difficult terrain.
Wedge drilling provides additional data points within a mineral deposit without the expense of completely new drill holes. When converting resources from lower confidence classifications (like Inferred) to higher confidence classifications (like Indicated), geological continuity must be demonstrated with sufficient drill density.
Wedge drilling helps achieve this required density by providing intermediate sample points between existing holes. This increases confidence in the geological model, grade distribution, and ultimately resource classification—all at lower cost than drilling entirely new holes from surface.
The recent announcement notes that tin prices have spiked to over US$37,000/t following Indonesia's crackdown on illegal mining and tighter export controls. These developments highlight ongoing global supply risks and reinforce the strategic importance of Stellar's Heemskirk Tin Project, which is located in the stable Tier-1 jurisdiction of Tasmania, Australia.
The high-grade tin find by Stellar Resources Ltd continues to validate the quality of the Heemskirk project, which ranks as the highest-grade undeveloped tin resource in Australia and third globally, with a substantial high-grade resource totaling 7.48Mt at 1.04% Sn, containing 77.87kt of tin. The company aims to become a producer of 3,000-3,500 tpa of payable tin, approximately 1% of global supply.
Following recent drilling success and the decision to extend the Resource and PFS drilling program, Stellar anticipates:
The PFS is progressing well, including due diligence on the nearby Avebury Plant and investigations on the Comstock plant site, both areas under MOUs.
Stellar Resources presents a compelling investment opportunity for several reasons:
The high-grade tin find by Stellar Resources Ltd represents another significant milestone in the company's development journey. With tin being a critical metal for electronics, renewable energy, and the broader energy transition, Stellar's progress at Heemskirk positions the company to benefit from increasing global demand while addressing supply concerns from less stable mining jurisdictions.
Tin plays an essential role in the modern economy, particularly as the world transitions toward renewable energy and advanced technologies. The metal serves as a crucial component in electronic circuit boards, serving as the primary solder material connecting components. Additionally, tin is vital in the manufacturing of energy storage technologies, including certain types of batteries and supercapacitors.
Global tin demand continues to grow steadily, driven by:
The high-grade tin find by Stellar Resources Ltd gains additional significance against this backdrop of growing demand and constrained global supply. Indonesia's recent export restrictions have highlighted the fragility of global tin supply chains, with limited new sources of production under development in stable mining jurisdictions.
As Stellar Resources continues to advance the Heemskirk project toward production, it positions itself as a potential significant contributor to secure tin supply chains in an increasingly resource-constrained world.
Discovery Alert's proprietary Discovery IQ model instantly notifies investors of significant ASX mineral discoveries like Stellar's high-grade tin find, turning complex data into actionable investment insights. Understand why major mineral discoveries can lead to exceptional returns by exploring our dedicated discoveries page and position yourself ahead of the market.