Mining Projects Update

RNS Number : 6025P

Alba Mineral Resources PLC

11 February 2019

 

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Alba Mineral Resources plc

("Alba" or the "Company")

Mining Projects Update

Alba Mineral Resources plc (AIM: ALBA), the diversified mineral exploration and development company, is pleased to report on progress made at the Company's mining projects and to outline the Company's work plans for the coming months.

Alba's Executive Chairman, George Frangeskides, commented:

"I am pleased to be able to present this update of the ongoing work across our suite of mining projects in the UK, Ireland and Greenland.  In this update, we highlight our ongoing activities towards the re-opening of the Clogau-St Davids Gold Mine, the UK's largest historical gold producer. We also report on the extensive regional exploration programme which we will shortly be commencing across the Dolgellau Gold Belt, the great majority of which is under licence to Alba.  This will involve the collection of up to 3000 samples covering about 50 per cent of the total extent of the Gold Belt, which runs to some 30 km in a straight line.  By the use of systematic, modern exploration techniques, our objective is to unearth one or more gold deposits to rival the Clogau-St Davids Mine." 

"In Ireland, we remain on track for drilling one or more identified Zinc-Lead targets in April or May.  And in Greenland, we outline the results of an important technical study in relation to the Inglefield Polymetallic Project, which we hope will help us to unlock the IOCG and Zinc-Lead potential of that vast and largely uncharted region of north-west Greenland."

"Finally, we end this update by touching on our work to rationalise some of our land-holdings in Greenland.  Our ongoing work, both out in the field and in the close season, has enabled us to hone our licences to cover the key targets and deposit areas, so that our exploration spend is directed in a way that we feel will add the most value to Alba and to our shareholders.  We remain very positive about all of our Greenland projects, and intend to continue to be one of the prime movers and explorers in that vast, minerals-rich country."

"I look forward to providing shareholders with further updates as our work progresses."  

Clogau Gold Project (Wales, UK, 90% owned)

We provide below an update on Alba's ongoing exploration and development activities at the Clogau Gold Project in North Wales, following the completion of the successful geochemical soil sampling programme in 2018.

Clogau Highlights: Regional Exploration

·     The geochemical soil sampling programme will be rolled out this year into those sections of the Dolgellau Gold Belt which host multiple known gold trial mines, workings and occurrences and which have not previously been subjected to modern exploration techniques.

·     1,200 soil samples will be collected in the first phase of the programme, with this being increased to up to 3,000 samples in total in a second phase planned for later in the year.  

·     The objective of this exploration campaign, the scale of which is unprecedented in the Dolgellau Gold Belt, is to seek to identify one or more significant new gold deposits within Alba's licence area.

Clogau Highlights: Clogau-St Davids Gold Mine

·     Alba's near-term work programme in relation to the re-opening of the historic Clogau-St Davids Gold Mine (the "Mine") includes:

o  Continuing environmental baseline studies, the results of which will be incorporated into the planning application for the re-opening of the Mine.

o  A rehabilitation programme inside the mine involving repairs to the Llechfraith Adit and other safety works, as a precursor to the re-opening of the Mine.

o  Finalising a detailed exploration work programme in relation to the Mine with the objective of identifying and isolating unworked gold veins and gold-bearing structures, to include UG channel sampling, plus UG and/or surface drilling.

Alba is pleased to report on ongoing exploration and development work at the Clogau Gold Project.  A team from SRK Exploration Services, based in Cardiff, is being mobilised to site to continue the soil sampling programme within Alba's licence area and, most significantly, to roll that programme out to those sections of the Dolgellau Gold Belt that extend beyond the existing mine workings. 

The initial soil sampling campaign in 2018 confirmed the merits of the soil sampling technique in determining gold anomalies in an area such as the Dolgellau Gold Belt that historically hosted exploitable gold mineralisation.  The results of the 2018 soil sampling campaign (reported on 17 October 2018) showed that gold in soil grades, being above the detection limit, predominantly lie on the north-western side of the historic workings and are present across the full strike length (approx. 0.8 km) based on the 200m spaced soil lines. 

The Phase 2 soil sampling programme will initially consist of 1,200 samples, eventually expanding to approximately 3,000 samples. The selection of this area is based on the favourable host geology and the occurrence of historic workings. It is anticipated that the initial 1,200 samples will take 12 weeks to complete using a team of three field assistants under the direct supervision of an experienced field geologist from SRK Exploration Services. Sampling is expected to follow a grid of a 200m line spacing with a 20m sample spacing along each line.  As each phase of sampling is completed, the samples will be dispatched to an accredited laboratory for assaying.

This soil sampling programme will cover 50 per cent of the total length of the Dolgellau Gold Belt which spans some 30 kilometres in a straight line (following the dominant Clogau Shale Unit).

Aside from this regional exploration programme, Alba continues to advance work in relation to the Clogau St Davids Gold Mine, historically the UK's most important gold mine by total production.  Alba has assembled an experienced team of planning, engineering and environmental consultants largely drawn from within Wales, as the Company seeks to further the work needed to re-open the Mine.   Mine-related work expected to be undertaken in the near term includes:

·     Continued environmental baseline studies, the results of which will be incorporated into the planning application to be submitted for the re-opening of the Mine.

·     A rehabilitation programme involving repairs to the Llechfraith Adit and other necessary works, as a necessary precursor to the re-opening of the mine.

·     Finalising and commencing a Mine-specific exploration work programme with the objective of identifying and isolating unworked gold veins and gold-bearing structures, to include some or all of channel sampling, bulk sampling and underground and/or surface drilling.

·     Completion and submission of a formal Pre-application Enquiry to the Mineral Planning Authority detailing the works required to re-open the Mine and the proposed operations once the mine is re-opened.

Limerick Project (Ireland, Base Metals, 100% owned)

Alba is pleased to report, in connection with the Company's proposed drilling campaign at the Limerick Base Metals project, that an application for a water discharge permit has now been lodged. Alba has been informed that it is likely to take approximately two months before the permit is issued.  As this is the final approval required, the Company expects to be in a position to commence drilling by April/May.

Thule Black Sands (N-W Greenland, Ilmenite, 100% owned)

Following the successful completion of the 2018 drilling and mapping campaign at the Thule Black Sands project, Alba reports that work in the close season progresses, involving:

-   laboratory testwork for the determination of the Heavy Mineral content of the hundreds of samples taken during the 2018 programme;

-   the creation of composite samples from the appropriate geological domains for use in determining the mineralogy of the heavy mineral component of the sand; 

-   the development of a geological model and, following the completion of the testwork, mineral resource estimation work;

-   planning for the 2019 field season, with a likely focus on further mapping and drilling, as well as ongoing environmental studies and community engagement activities.

Results will be released as and when they are available.

Inglefield (N-W Greenland, Polymetallic, 100% owned)

All data from Alba's maiden 2018 exploration campaign at the Inglefield Polymetallic Project, together with all prior data sets from previous campaigns, has been the subject of a detailed technical study in order to improve target definition ahead of the 2019 field season.  Independent South African consultants, TECT Geological Consulting and XPotential Geoscientific Consulting, experts in structural geology and geophysical data interpretation, respectively, compiled all the historical data sets for Inglefield Land (geophysics, remote sensing, geochemistry and geology) and used this compilation for prospectivity analysis in order to refine mineralisation targets.  

Lithological/structural terrains were created and compared to known models for deposits that typically host Cu-Au and Zn-Pb mineralisation such as that identified in the 2018 Alba field season as well as results obtained from historical explorers in the region.

The technical study focused in particular on two separate mineralisation types:

1)  Iron Oxide Copper Gold ("IOCG" or FeOx-Cu-Au) Deposits; and

2)  Carbonate-Hosted Zinc-Lead (Zn-Pb) Deposits

Inglefield IOCG Potential

TECT and XPotential have reported that:

·     The NE-trending, 70km long "North Inglefield Land Gold Belt" shows distinct Cu-Au enrichment.

·     Other anomalous element associations include elevated Ag-Mo-Co-Zn, V-Ba-Fe.

·     This enriched belt coincides with a NE-SW-trending aeromagnetic lineament interpreted as a deep-seated structure.

Inglefield Carbonate-Hosted Zn-Pb Potential

TECT and XPotential have noted that:

·     The Black Angel Zn-Pb deposit in north Greenland (13.6Mt @ 12.3%Zn, 4.0% Pb and 29ppm Ag) is a proximal type locality for significant Zn-Pb-Ag mineralisation.

·     Inglefield Land mapped marbles and graphite zones, delineated in the Electromagnetic (EM) geophysical data, provide evidence for similar geological host zones that will be targeted for further reconnaissance in the 2019 season.

TECT and XPotential Summary and Recommendations

·     FeOx-Cu-Au Mineralisation: there are a number of Cu-Au occurrences in Inglefield Land. Alba's "4-Finger" target, explored in 2018, is most prospective for this mineralisation style.

·     Carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb(-Ag) Mineralisation:  Alba's south-west "Zn-Co" target is the most prospective for this mineralisation style.

·     Recommended work programme for the 2019 field season:

•   Reconnaissance mapping focussed on alteration, Fe-Ox 'rust zones' identification and sampling of gossans

•   Soil grids over more prospective areas

•   Ground based geophysical surveys located over identified areas of interest and running in parallel with the mapping and sampling.

•   The intention of the 2019 field work will be to delineate targets for drilling.

The identification by TECT and XPotential of a number of high priority targets, many of which significantly coincide with Alba's existing land-holding, is of great encouragement for the forthcoming field season.  The results of the study will be further assessed by Alba's Technical Director, Howard Baker, and the 2018 Field Team Leader, Greenland-based senior geologist Mark Hutchison, as part of the planning which has commenced for the forthcoming field season at Inglefield.

Amitsoq (Southern Greenland, Graphite, 90% owned)

Alba is currently planning the 2019 field season at the high-grade Amitsoq Graphite project in southern Greenland.  In a previous field campaign, Alba carried out a detailed structural evaluation of both the graphite deposit on Amitsoq Island and of Alba's new graphite discovery, the Kalaaq deposit, on the mainland portion of Alba's licence.  This enabled the Company to define precise drilling locations.   

In 2018 Alba commissioned a field team to construct drill pads; as a result, the Project is now drill-ready.  At a minimum, the objective of a first phase of drilling (~10 drillholes for 1000m) would be to drill within unworked extensions of the historic mine area in order to confirm the structural mapping of the deposit undertaken in 2017 and to enable the development of a geological model for the project.  A second phase of drilling (a further ~10 drillholes for 1000m) would be designed to generate a maiden mineral resource for the Project.

Alba is re-engaging with previously-interested parties, as well as new parties who have expressed an interest as potential strategic or joint venture partners to participate in this exceptionally high-grade graphite deposit.  These discussions are ongoing.  

Partial Licence Relinquishments

As part of Alba's continual drive to make the best use of its financial resources, Alba's technical and financial team carried out a review of the Company's Greenlandic exploration portfolio in the light of knowledge gained from the 2018 exploration campaign.  This has led to the Company making some reductions to the size of certain of its licence areas in order to reduce overall expenditure commitments, as follows:

Melville Bay

-   Licence MEL 2017/41 has been reduced from 354km² to 53km². The retained area hosts all targets drilled by the former licence holder and also retains the area hosting the Havik East mineral resource estimate completed in 2013 (inferred JORC resource of 67Mt grading 31.4% Fe).

Thule Black Sands

-   Licence MEL 2017/39 has been relinquished in full.  This licence area was a secondary licence taken out over satellite areas outside of Alba's main Thule Black Sands project area, which is delineated by MEL 2017/29.  No results of interest were obtained over these satellite areas during the 2018 field season.

-   Licence MEL 2017/29 has been reduced from 186km² to 52km².  This licence covers the main Thule Black Sands project area.  Following Alba's extensive exploration programme in 2018, we have been able to reduce the licence area by removing areas which our field work confirmed as either being not mineralised or otherwise sub-optimal, and at the same time retaining all mineralised zones verified during our 2018 drilling campaign, totalling approximately 10km in strike length.

Inglefield Project

-   Licence MEL 2017/40 has been reduced from 82km² to 29km² with licence MEL 2018/25 remaining unchanged.

All key target areas have been retained.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.

For further information please contact:

Alba Mineral Resources plc

George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman                        [phone]

Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nomad)

James Caithie / Liam Murray / Richard Nash                      [phone]

First Equity Limited (Broker)

Jason Robertson                                                              [phone]

Yellow Jersey PR (Financial PR/ IR)
Tim Thompson / Harriet Jackson / Henry Wilkinson  [e-mail]	[phone]

Competent Person Declaration

The information in this release that relates to Exploration Results has been reviewed by Mr Howard Baker, Technical Director of Alba Mineral Resources Plc. Mr Baker is a Chartered Professional Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Membership Number 224239) and a Competent Person as defined by the rules of International Reporting Codes that are aligned with CRIRSCO.

Howard Baker has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves', also known as the JORC Code. The JORC code is a national reporting organisation that is aligned with CRIRSCO. Howard Baker consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which they appear.

Glossary of Terms

Ag-Mo-Co-Zn: Silver-Molybdenum-Cobalt-Zinc.

Cu-Au: Copper-Gold.

FeOx-Cu-Au: Iron Oxide-Copper-Gold.

Geochemical: Relates to the chemical composition of the Earth and its rocks and minerals.

Geophysics: The application of the methods and techniques of physics to the study of the earth and the processes affecting it.

Gossan: an iron-containing secondary deposit, largely consisting of oxides and typically yellowish or reddish, occurring above a deposit of a metallic ore.

G/T: grams per tonne (1g/t =1ppm)

Intrusives: An igneous rock formed from magma forced into older rocks at depth within the Earth's crust, which then slowly solidifies below the Earth's surface.

Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG): considered to be metasomatic expressions of large crustal-scale alteration events driven by intrusive activity. Contain substantial accumulations of iron oxide minerals.

Metasomatic: is the chemical alteration of a rock by hydrothermal and other fluids.

Mineralisation: the deposition of economically important metals in the formation of ore bodies or lodes.

PPM: parts per million (1ppm = 1g/t).

Strike Length: the length and direction of a vein or rock formation measured on a horizontal surface.

V-Ba-Fe: Vanadium-Barium-Iron.

Zn-Co: Zinc-Cobalt.

Zn-Pb: Zinc-Lead.

Alba's Project & Investment Portfolio

Mining

Amitsoq (Graphite, Southern Greenland): Alba owns a 90 per cent interest in the Amitsoq Graphite Project in Southern Greenland and has an option over the remaining 10 per cent.

Clogau (Gold, Wales): Alba owns a 90 per cent interest in Gold Mines of Wales Limited ("GMOW"), the ultimate owner of the Clogau Gold project situated in the Dolgellau Gold Belt in Wales.

Inglefield Land (Polymetallic, N-W Greenland): Alba owns 100 per cent of mineral exploration licences MEL 2017/40 and 2018/25 in north-west Greenland.

Limerick (Base Metals, Ireland): Alba owns 100 per cent of the Limerick base metal project in the Republic of Ireland.

Melville Bay (Iron Ore, N-W Greenland): Alba is entitled to a 51 per cent interest in mineral exploration licence 2017/41 in Melville Bay, north-west Greenland. The licence area benefits from an existing inferred JORC resource of 67 Mt @ 31.4% Fe.

Thule Black Sands (Ilmenite, N-W Greenland): Alba owns 100 per cent of mineral exploration licence 2017/29 in the Thule region, north-west Greenland.

Oil & Gas

Brockham (Oil & Gas, UK): Alba has a direct 5 per cent interest in Production Licence 235, which comprises the previously producing onshore Brockham Oil Field.

Horse Hill (Oil & Gas, UK): Alba holds an 11.765 per cent interest in the Horse Hill oil and gas project in the Weald Basin in southern England, comprising licences PEDL 137 and PEDL 246 covering a total area of 142.9 km².

Web: www.albamineralresources.com

 

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