Project Update
Premier African Minerals Limited / Ticker: PREM / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining
8 January 2013
Premier African Minerals Limited (`Premier' or `the Company')
Completion of drilling at RHA Tungsten Project and Katete REE Project Update
Premier African Minerals Limited, the AIM traded, multi-commodity natural
resource company with mineral projects located in Western and Southern Africa,
provides an update on the recently completed drilling programme at the RHA
Tungsten Project (`RHA'), Zimbabwe, in which Premier has a 49 per cent
interest.
RHA Tungsten Project
The additional drilling of Lode 2A, as recommended in the Preliminary Economic
Assessment (see announcements dated 28 August 2013 and 2 December 2013), was
completed on 18 December 2013. Twelve inclined diamond drill holes totalling
1,300.7m were completed. Geological logging is complete and cutting and
sampling of the mineralised intersections is progressing well.
Quartz veins with visible tungsten mineralisation in the form of coarse grained
wolframite (Fe Mn) WO4 have been intersected in all the holes and core logging
indicates a correlation with previously identified and assayed mineralisation
intersections in previous drilling. Once assays are available, the RHA
geological model and resource statement will be updated.
Table 1Summary of Diamond Drilling completed at RHA
Borehole No Angle (-deg) End of hole Mineralised veins noted
(m) between (m):
From To
DD07 70 124.70 38.35 123.38
DD08 65 140.00 72.60 138.85
DD09 60 170.00 56.32 157.86
DD10 45 130.00 59.59 123.07
DD11 60 160.00 52.20 136.48
DD12 45 100.00 38.81 96.75
DD13 65 136.00 38.09 128.49
DD14 45 60.00 38.11 52.55
DD15 65 115.00 14.94 107.39
DD16 45 45.00 32.46 34.96
DD17 45 60.00 23.46 59.01
DD18 45 60.00 40.32 59.71
Total Meters 1,300.7
SGS South Africa has been commissioned to undertake mineralogical and
metallurgical test work on the drill samples obtained from Lode 2A. This work
will be used to refine the metallurgical design and to further the finalisation
of the off-take agreement (see announcement dated 2 December 2013).
Katete Rare Earth Elements (`REE')Project
The Katete REE Project (`Katete'), in Zimbabwe, which hosts a large
multi-phased REE enriched carbonatite complex exposed at surface, has been
subject to extensive trenching during 2013. The trenching has continued to
strike mineralisation at surface level in the mineralised zones.
George Roach, CEO of Premier, commented:
"I am very pleased with the preliminary indications of continuity at RHA. Our
primary focus remains the early reopening of this mine and the updating of the
geological model and resource statement, together with the confirmatory
metallurgical work being undertaken are important steps in facilitating this.
The results of the metallurgical test work being done by SGS will guide the
finalisation of the off-take and marketing agreements.
"The on-going trenching at Katete has continued to produce promising results.
The Company believes that Katete will be the next project to undergo a further
drilling programme in addition to the completion of mineralogical and
metallurgical test work and the delineation of a SAMREC code compliant resource
statement during the course of 2014."
Qualified Person
The technical information contained in this announcement has been prepared and
reviewed by Robert Ingram, BSc, CEng, PrNatSci, FGSSA, MSEG, and Alexander du
Plessis PrEng, BSc(Eng), MSc(Eng), CertEng, FSAIMM, who are appointed as
consultants to Premier African Minerals Limited. Professor du Plessis is also a
director of the Company. Mr Ingram is registered with the South African Council
for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) (Registration Number 400057/92),
and Professor du Plessis with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)
(Registration Number 950232). They are satisfied with the accuracy and
precision of this announcement.
For further information please visit www.premierafricanminerals.com or contact
the following:
Pamela Hueston Premier African Minerals Limited Tel: +44 (0) 755 778 3855
Michael Cornish/ Beaumont Cornish Limited Tel: +44 (0) 207 628 3396
Roland Cornish (Nominated Adviser)
Jerry Keen/ Shore Capital Stockbrokers Tel: +44 (0) 207 408 4090
Edward Mansfield Limited
Tim Blythe/ Blythe Weigh Communications Tel: +44 (0) 207 138 3204
Halimah Hussain
Notes
Premier African Minerals Limited (AIM: PREM) is a multi-commodity exploration
and development company focused in Southern and West Africa. As well as its 42
per cent. shareholding in TSX-Venture quoted AgriMinco (see www.agriminco.com),
the Company has a diverse portfolio of multi-commodity projects which includes
tungsten, rare earth elements, gold, lithium, tantalum and uranium in Zimbabwe
and Togo, which span from brownfield projects with near-term production
potential to grass-roots exploration.
Glossary of Technical Terms
"Measured mineral resource" is that part of a mineral resource for which
quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape, and physical characteristics are
so well established that they can be estimated with confidence sufficient to
allow the appropriate application of technical and economic parameters, to
support production planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the
deposit. The estimate is based on detailed and reliable exploration, sampling
and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations
such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that are spaced
closely enough to confirm both geological and grade continuity.
"Mineral resource" is a concentration or occurrence of diamonds, natural solid
inorganic material or natural fossilized organic material including base and
precious metals, coal, and industrial minerals in or on the Earth's crust in
such form and quantity and of such a grade or quality that it has reasonable
prospects for economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, geological
characteristics and continuity of a mineral resource are known, estimated or
interpreted from specific geological evidence and knowledge.
(Fe Mn)WO4 is a chemical composition of wolframite.
"Mineralisation" is the presence of a target mineral in a mass of host rock.
"Tungsten" is a metallic element known as wolfram with a symbol of W and an
atomic number of 74.
"Veins" are a tabular or sheet like body of one or more minerals deposited in
openings of fissures, joints or faults, frequently with associated replacement
of the host rock.
Wolframite is the mineral name for iron-manganese tungstate; (Fe,Mn)WO4, an ore
of tungsten. The ratio of iron to manganese varies; iron-rich wolframite is
known as ferberite FeWO4, manganese-rich wolframite is known as hubnerite
MnWO4.
**ENDS**