PYBAR Mining Services has been given an extension by Red River Resources (ASX:RVR) to continue working at the company’s West 45 zinc-lead mine.

West 45 is one of the base metal deposits that comprises Red River’s Thalanga zinc project, located 65 kilometers southwest of Charters Town in central Queensland, Australia. Following a five-year hiatus, production at the project restarted in September 2017, though development and mining activities at West 45 resumed in April 2017.

PYBAR, who has provided mining services for Red River at West 45, had a contract with the company that was set to expire in January 2019. However, Red River announced Thursday (July 12) that it would be extending the contract for a maximum of 2 years, or until West 45’s mine life comes to an end.

With the intention of further extending West 45’s mine life, Red River is starting a 4,500m underground diamond drilling program at the site. The deposit has an ore reserve of 567,000 tonnes grading 11.6 percent zinc equivalent, and a mineral resource estimate of 582,000 tonnes grading 15.45 percent zinc equivalent.

The West 45 deposit consists of five semi-massive to massive sulphide lenses, primarily rich in zinc and lead. However, small amounts of gold, silver and copper were also detected in a mineral resource estimate completed in January 2015, grading 0.6 percent copper, 0.3g/t gold and 69g/t silver.

The news comes just a week after Red River announced that PYBAR had also been given a contract to help develop and operate the company’s Far West mine, the second deposit to be mined as part of the Thalanga project. The Far West contract is set to last seven years.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!

Securities Disclosure: I, Olivia Da Silva, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.