Terra Balcanica Resources is pushing ahead with exploration on its flagship project in Bosnia and Herzegovina despite adverse weather conditions. The current results from the Phase III drilling program provide important confirmations for the geological models at the Brezani and Cumavici target areas.
The Canadian exploration company Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. (CSE: TERA; FRA: UB10) today published further analysis results from its ongoing Phase III drilling campaign. The focus of the current report is on the Brezani and Cumavici Ridge target areas, both of which are part of the comprehensive Viogor-Zanik project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The new data suggest that the mineralized zones at both locations can be significantly expanded, supporting the thesis of a large magmatic-hydrothermal system in the subsurface.
Of particular note is the confirmation of extensive near-surface gold mineralization at Brezani, as well as the successful identification of further high-grade silver-antimony veins at Cumavici.
Brezani: Gold Skarn System Taking Shape
The Brezani target area is increasingly developing into a complex but geologically highly interesting area for Terra Balcanica. The current drillings confirm the “multi-domain nature” of the target. This means that two different types of mineralization occur here: a gold-bearing skarn overlying epithermal silver-antimony mineralization.
Drilling BRE25001A delivered a remarkable result for near-surface gold distribution. The company reported an interval of 55 meters with 0.43 g/t gold, starting at a depth of only 12 meters below the surface. This hit is significant in that it extends the known gold mineralization by 170 meters along the strike in a north-south direction.
Fig. 1: Map of the 850 m long gold-in-soil anomaly at Brezani, which hosts excellent thicknesses of shallow, drill-confirmed gold intercepts.
Geologically, this find correlates with a known retrograde skarn and calc-silicate hornfels package that was discovered back in 2022. The mineralization occurs in association with diorite dikes and hydrothermal breccias. Particularly relevant for further exploration is the fact that this gold skarn structure lies within an even larger soil anomaly. The anomaly extends over a width of more than 850 meters, most of which has not yet been tested by drilling. This leaves room for potential further discoveries along the strike.
Previous drillings in this area had already shown similar thicknesses and grades, including 88 meters with 0.50 g/t gold from the surface (borehole BREDD002), which underlines the consistency of the system.
Deeper Silver Targets and Structural Geology
In addition to the near-surface gold component, Terra Balcanica is also targeting deeper, polymetallic structures on the Brezani target. Borehole BRE25001 intersected epithermal mineralization that yielded 60 g/t silver equivalent (AgEq) over 6.0 meters from a depth of 158 meters. This included a higher-grade core of 3.0 meters with 95 g/t AgEq.
These results confirm the continuity of a steeply dipping structure located approximately 92 meters northeast of a previous high-grade hit (436 g/t AgEq over 19.6 meters). Of interest to the geological model is the finding that the structural zones were encountered at shallower depths than originally predicted. This suggests a steeper dip of the host structures to the southwest, which is crucial for planning future drilling targets. The mineralization itself consists of banded quartz-carbonate-sulfide veins, a typical feature of epithermal systems of this type.
Cumavici Ridge: Confirmation of Host Structures
In parallel with the work on Brezani, Terra Balcanica is also pushing ahead with the investigation of the Cumavici Ridge target. Here, the focus is on high-grade silver and antimony deposits. Borehole CMV25002 was designed to test the mineralization at a shallower depth than the previously reported borehole CMV25001.
The drilling was successful, intersecting 186 g/t AgEq over 0.5 meters from a depth of 58.2 meters. Although the section is relatively narrow, it is geologically significant as it demonstrates the continuation of the host structure towards the surface and further to the northwest.
The geology at Cumavici is dominated by volcanic rock (tuffs and pyroclastic breccias) that is intersected by NW-SE trending structures. The mineralization is concentrated in these faults, which are often recognizable at the surface as topographic depressions. The drill core from CMV25002 showed strong argillic alteration (transformation to clay minerals) and fault gouge interspersed with sulfides such as pyrite, sphalerite, galena and stibnite. These are classic indicators of the epithermal system there.
Fig. 2: Map of the Viogor-Zanik project in Bosnia
Strategic Importance and Outlook
Aleksandar Mišković, CEO of Terra Balcanica, was satisfied with the progress of the Phase III campaign. He emphasized that increasing the mineralized footprint at both sites by almost 100 meters along the strike in each case is a crucial step in demonstrating the size aspect of the project.
The company believes it is well positioned to develop one of the most significant silver-rich exploration assets in the Balkans. The work is taking place in a historically mining-friendly environment; the Brezani project is located only about 8.4 kilometers south of Mineco Ltd.’s operative Sase mine, which produces approximately 330,000 tonnes of lead-zinc-silver-gold concentrate annually. This spatial proximity to existing mining infrastructure is a location advantage that should not be underestimated.
Despite wintery conditions with sub-zero temperatures, Terra Balcanica is continuing its work. While the planned drilling program at Brezani is fully contracted, the drilling rigs are now being refocused on Cumavici to conduct further tests there. Investors are likely to be eagerly awaiting whether the upcoming drillings can further underpin the connection between the individual polymetallic systems (Joseva, Cumavici Crest and Cumavici Ridge).
With these results, the company is once again proving that the Viogor-Zanik project has a complex but high-grade mineralization system, the full potential of which is only being gradually unlocked through systematic drilling.
