Antimony in Italy

Antimony is generally found in monomineralic form, composed almost exclusively by stibnite (Sb2S3 ) and occasionally associated to pyrite and marcasite, with traces of galena and sphalerite. The gangue is represented by abundant calcite and quartz, sometimes accompanied by small quantities of baritine and fluorite. Apart from the vein deposit at Pereta, mineralisation is normally found at the contact, either tectonic or stratigraphic, between lower limestone formations – commonly Triassic Calcare Cavernoso (vuggy limestone) - and overlying mudstone of the Ligurid Complex (flysch). The age of emplacement is very recent, probably quaternary, and the deposits are often accompanied by thermal spring and gaseous manifestations. This points to a clear hydrothermal origin. The deposits mined to date have been limited to a few tens of metres in depth. The last active mine, Tafone, was decommissioned in the mid 1980s.

Antimony in the Manciano Area

The Manciano area has been by world standards a major Sb producer up to a recent past. The area hosts several small to medium size deposits, which have been exploited up to the mid-1980s. During the later phases of exploitation (say in the late 1970s and early 80s) several new occurrences or extensions to mined deposits have been identified in the region, but were never developed.

On the basis of the available information (via the Mines Department in Grosseto) the following Sb-resources/reserves have been outlined in the Manciano area:

• Tafone Nord (Tafone concession): large open-pit mine (now a lake along the Montalto di Castro-Manciano road) 500.000t @ 2-3% Sb: mined between 1966 and 1979; +/- totally exhausted.
• Tafone Sud and Montauto open-pit mines, both in the former so-called “Poggio Bellino” concession (resp. 2 and 4km apart of the Tafone processing plant).
• According to an October 1987 report the Tafone Sud mine (in exploitation between 1973 and mid-1980s) would have produced some 352,000t of ore @ 1.7-2.5% Sb; the Montauto mine (1978- mid-1980s) 98,000t @ 1.7-2.0% Sb.
• The same report estimates the combined remaining resources at 100, [email protected]%Sb. Our data does not contain any detail regarding the precise location, depths/thickness, method of calculation, etc. of the remaining resources.
• A report from 1970, thus just pre-dating exploitation, estimates the resources of Tafone Sud and Montauto respectively at 280,000@ 2.82%Sb and 130, [email protected]% Sb. Obviously large additional reserves has been developed in the Tafone Sud deposit after the start exploitation.
• Montauto might be located in an area presently classified as a natural parc (to be verified).
• Macchia Casella, mined between 1939 and 1953 (no production details available). No details about remaining resources have been retrieved in the Company’s documentation.
• Faggio Scritto: about 2km N of the old acchia Casella mine occurs a resource of about 470,000t @1.5% Sb (see below). 57 holes were drilled in 1983. Details (logs, location, assays,…) are available to the Company. An application to cover the entire mineralized area has been filed in October 2006. Note that the extension is also the host to larger gold-in-soil indications, in fact the prime object of the application.
• Poggio Monticchio : Investigations carried out between 1979 and 1982 have outlined a resource of about 155,000t @ about 2% Sb in an area of the former San Martino sul Fiora mine some 50km NE of the Tafone processing plant. The limited (to Adroit) available information does not allow giving an opinion about the calculation of this resource. The consulted (only) maps show that the resources occur in two distinct areas, respectively outlined on the basis of 3 and 2 drill holes only. However it seems that the areas have been trenched, no data on this exercise is currently available to Adroit. Note also that, according to other consulted reports, some 10,000t or so of the outlined ore has actually been mined in the 1880s.
• PPPereta: a small former Sb mine situated in the Scansano commune, near Manciano. Extensive trenching (no data available) is reported to have outlined 35,000t@2% Sb. No further details (incl. maps) are, at present, available.

In summary, the following resources* are reported to be available in the Manciano area: An outcropping resource surrounded and underlain by a lower grade resource exceeding 2.3 Mt of ore @ about 0.61% Sb. Open in several directions.

In addition to the above there are also a series of indications (high-grade rock samples, wild cat drill holes,…) in the area that have never been assessed and are, obviously, not included in the resource figures. However on these indications we have little or no information. Amongst these are geochemical evidences of Stellata, Podere Pietricci (in the Adroit property), Macchia Buia-Campanelle, Campo delle Miniere-Lago Acquato, Pozza del Lino-Poggio La Strega…

The resources, as indicated here above, are of widely varying quality and need thorough checking. On the basis of the available information applications for exploration permits covering the following areas are currently being filed:

• Monticchio
• Pereta
• Tafone Sud/Montauto

It is also important to repeat that, besides the larger Manciano area, an Sb deposit and several high-grade Sb-indications respectively occur in the Le Cetine and Frassine /Macchia del Birelli tenements of the Company. Both deserve a thorough review and exploration efforts. Therefore the 2007 exploration programme and budget will have to include a larger slice for the search for antimony.

* Not in compliance with National Instrument 43-101. ** outcropping resource surrounded + underlain by a lower grade resource exceeding 2.3 Mt of ore @ about 0.61% Sb. Open in several directions.