Republic of Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina
About the project
Historical mining within the Sinjakovo licence targeted the copper-iron mineralisation hosted in siderite layers within the Carboniferous sediments and ceased in the early 1900’s. Subsequent exploration has confirmed the presence of the copper and iron mineralisation at various localities along the exposed strike of the outcropping siderite layers.
Importantly, it appears that Pb, Zn, Co, Ag and Au were not assayed and should be included in any exploration going forward. Historical samples collected from the area around the old mining operation were reported to contain elevated Ag values.
Copper and Iron Mineralisation
Historical mining and exploration activities identified a number of mineral occurrences within the Sinjakovo licence area and include the copper-iron mineralisation within the Carboniferous schists and limestones which outcrop in the centre of the licence and barite hosted lead-zinc-copper-silver mineralisation in the Devonian age sediments which outcrops in the southwest and east of the licence.
The early mining activities targeted the chalcopyrite-bearing siderite-ankerite layers within the Carboniferous schists and limestones for the iron around the Ravni Osredak locality in the centre of the licence area. Subsequent mining by the Austro-Hungarians from 1894-1910 targeted the chalcopyrite mineralisation associated with the siderite layers.
Barite Hosted Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag Mineralisation
- “first generation” veins associated with quartz and range from a few centimetres to tens of centimetres in width and are thus of limited economic significance, or as
- “second generation” barite associated with sulphides, usually tetrahedrite ((Cu,Fe,Zn,Ag)12Sb4S13).
This material was mined in the past on a small scale at Otomalji mountain, <1km outside the eastern border of the licence area. Within the licence area there are several old adits at the locality D Jumezlije and Beg Luka (1km NNW of Jezero town) (Figure 5.4.2) on the left Josavka riverbank and barite (with malachite and azurite) can be found on the dumps. Another locality with 6 a dits, 1km to the NW of D Jumezlije, was also mined. Here outcrops of barite, ~25cm thick and dipping at 60° to the west contain galena veins and can be traced for 50m. Further to the northwest a number of barite occurrences and old workings are also found. Various samples taken f rom these occurrences during the exploration by the Yugoslav Geological Survey between 1988-1990 elevated Pb, Zn, Cu and Ag. Many of these are proximal quartz porphyry intrusions and consistent with meso-epithermal mineralisation.