Italian Mining History

Central Italy, and more particularly Southern Tuscany, is a well known mining area, with activities dating back to the Bronze Age. The earliest signs of mineral extraction and metal treatment belong to the Etruscans who, over 3000 years ago, extracted copper primarily and minor quantities of tin for their unchallenged market in the Mediterranean. Antimony in the oxide form was also used by the Etruscans, mainly as a pigment for the typical blue-black pottery decoration and as a cosmetic. Subsequent development and discoveries in other metal used prompted the search and exploitation of new mines: iron, mercury, lead, zinc and silver were produced through the ages until recently (1990s), when the last pyrite mine at Campiano and the iron pellets and sulphuric acid plant at Scarlino were decommissioned.

Gold was never mined in Tuscany and no deposit of interest was ever identified, though traces of gold have been occasionally reported (for example in the Fenice Capanna polymetallic base metal mine), although the precious metal must have been sought there. In fact, the Etruscans produced fine jewellery, but the gold came from Phoenician mines in Thrace, the Ellespont and Spain.

The world-wide recognition in the 1970s and 1980s that (some) epithermal systems are prospective hosts for gold mineralisation prompted the ENI Group, still active in the mineral sector in the early and mid-1980s, to conduct a large scale assessment of Italy’s potential for this type of mineralisation. The geochemical and geological program was carried out between 1986 and 1989 by the exploration arm of ENI, RIMIN, over an area of about 6,600 km2 in southern Tuscany and immediate surroundings. An initial 20,000 stream sediment sampling program outlined a series of zones anomalous in gold and its main pathfinders such as arsenic, antimony, mercury (lead, zinc, copper), followed up by a more detailed litho-geochemical survey with 1645 samples collected and analyzed. Of these, 439 gave tenors  10 ppb Au (analytical threshold), 257 samples 25 ppb Au (enrichment threshold), 108 samples 0.1 g/t Au and 7 samples 1.0 g/t. In some cases such as Frassine, values were over 5.0 g/t Au.

Two main styles of mineralisation were recognized:

• A recent epithermal metallogenesis with cinnabar. In this case, the deposition of polymetallic compounds (in some instances accompanied by gold in sulphides) does not appear to be of great entity.
• A number of disseminated gold mineralisation systems associated with Sb and Hg, in large areas of silicification with barite present and marked by well defined tectonic structures. Wall rock alteration and sinter were observed in places.

On this basis, ENI-AGIP instigated a staking program and 26 permits covering about 850 km2 were applied for and granted.

At the same time (and earlier in some cases), other companies became interested in the area: Cominco, Sameton and Cal-Denver submitted application for leases, but none was granted. Anglo American, also interested in the exploration concept, eventually entered in joint venture with Agip (the MINITAL J.V.) and field operations started in 1989. From this year to the conclusion of the joint venture in 1991, the following work was carried out:

• Geochemical sampling with 38,000 samples collected, 29,000 of which as soil samples;
• Thirty seven trenches and pits;
• 106 drill holes, 4,314m diamond in 48 holes, 1,029m from 54 percussion holes and 221m in 4 reverse circulation drill holes.
• Geophysical surveys, with VLF, resistivity, magnetometer and radiometric surveys completed in some of the permits;
• Metallurgical testwork on a 25 kg portion of a 100 kg sample, collected from a trench at Campigliola (now Poggio Pietricci). The portion was submitted to rolling bottle tests and direct NaCN leach;
• Petrographical analysis on 222 rock and drill samples.

Although very encouraging results were obtained from several prospects, AGIP concluded in 1991 that the chances of finding an economic gold deposit were low and, consequently, the decision was taken to abandon exploring the region (H. Gewald, 1991). Almost immediately upon termination of this activity, and after other coincidental closures of operations in other countries (Australia, Canada), ENI was directed in 1992 to dispose of all non-oil/gas related activities in Italy and abroad (Marcello De Angelis, 1999).

Early in 1996, the Australian Etruscan Gold Exploration Pty. Ltd. (EGE) was founded by the one of the former ENI-AGIP geologists with the aim to stake ground for gold exploration in Italy in general and in southern Tuscany in particular. Based on the RIMIN and MINITAL technical reports a series of applications were lodged for permit areas in June 1996 and eventually granted in January-February 1997.

In April 1997, the Southern Tuscany Joint Venture was established between EGE, Mining Italiana (a subsidiary of ENI) and Nebex Resources of Canada. Southern Tuscany JV carried out some limited exploration work in 1997, mainly comprising geological mapping and rock sampling. The results of the work confirmed the favourable setting of the area and prospects for epithermal-style gold and antimony mineralization. However, following the collapse and consequent delisting of Nebex Resources from the North American Stock Exchanges, the Joint Venture was terminated in 1998 and the permits were left to expire.