Drilling Update
Ormonde Mining PLC
04 July 2007
04 July 2007
Ormonde Mining plc
Ormonde upgrades Barruecopardo Tungsten Prospect to Advanced Project on basis of
further high-grade drilling results
DUBLIN & LONDON: 04 July 2007 - Ormonde Mining plc ("Ormonde" or "the Company")
is most pleased to report additional high-grade drill intersections from its
second stage drilling programme on the high-grade tungsten zone at the northern
extension to the Barruecopardo (Bar..wec..o..par..do) Tungsten Deposit in
Salamanca, Spain.
HIGHLIGHTS
• New drill Intersections include 2m grading 2.4% WO3 and 2m grading 1.7% WO3
• Twelve of the fifteen holes drilled by Ormonde to date have established the
continuity of good to high-grade tungsten mineralisation along a 600m strike
length below three shallow open-pit workings
• A larger 80m deep, 800m long, open-pit to the south indicates that the
tungsten mineralisation continues southwards for 700-800m, to give a total
strike length of 1,400m, with mineralised vein widths varying from 1m to
3m, dipping steeply within competent granite rocks
• Preliminary metallurgical testwork on two samples of the tungsten
mineralisation undertaken by SGS Lakefield Research "concluded from these
tests that both samples are readily amenable to gravity concentration. The
tungsten mineral(s) are coarse grained and will be concentrated effectively
by traditional low cost gravity equipment"
• The project has now been upgraded to advanced project status
• A second drill rig is now being mobilised to ensure continuous drilling to
facilitate mineral resource definition and a fast-track evaluation of the
deposit
Kerr Anderson, Managing Director, said today,
"The results of the second stage drilling programme at Barruecopardo have
exceeded expectations and confirm the presence of a high-grade continuous
tungsten vein system. A preliminary assessment suggests that the deposit has
the potential to become a relatively simple, high-margin, underground mining
operation utilising low cost gravity concentration processing.
With these results the Barruecopardo Tungsten Project has progressed to the
advanced project stage and henceforth its evaluation will be fast-tracked. It
has become the second focus for Ormonde after the La Zarza Copper-Gold Project
in southern Spain, where a Bankable Feasibility Study is currently in progress
and upon which the Company will be reporting shortly".
A preliminary analysis of the deposit indicates that, provided the tungsten
grade and continuity continues with depth, it should be possible to establish a
high margin, low capital cost, underground mine on the deposit. Deeper drilling
is being progressed to confirm depth continuity of the high grades. Access to
the deposit could be established by a decline from the base of the existing
open-pit and processing would be by conventional gravity concentration. At this
early stage the overall geology, ore treatment route and mining options appear
relatively straightforward.
A separate tungsten occurrence 250m east of the main Barruecopardo vein system
and marked by four small open-pits (the Eastern Prospect) and another tungsten
vein system around one kilometre to the west of Barruecopardo (the Valdegallegos
Prospect) will be drilled as part of the next drilling programme. An initial
single hole which was drilled into Valdegallegos, as part of first stage
drilling programme reported in January this year, yielded a high-grade
intersection of 0.9m @ 2.7% WO3.
A complete list of all drillhole results is given in the table below. A
schematic long section of the deposit, a plan showing drill hole locations and a
photograph of the old open-pit operation, closed in the 1980s when tungsten
prices were very low, are attached to the PDF version of this release and may
also be accessed in the Publications section of the Company website homepage
www.ormondemining.com.
Drilling Results - Further Information
Ormonde's follow-up drilling programme has been carried out to establish
continuity of the high tungsten grades intersected in the first drilling
programme on the northern extension of the Barruecopardo vein system as reported
in January. Fifteen core drill holes (BAR-1 to 7 and BAR-9 to 16) have been
completed on 50 metre spaced sections. Results for holes BAR-9 and 10 were
reported in May and new results from holes BAR-11 to 15 are reported as follows:
Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) WO3 %
BAR-11 114.0 115.0 1.0 0.3
BAR-12 128.0 130.0 2.0 1.7
BAR-13 123.0 125.0 2.0 2.4
BAR-15 122.0 124.0 2.0 0.4
A summary of all significant drilling results to date is as follows:
Barruecopardo Project
Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) WO3 %
BAR-01 115.7 116.7 1.0 0.5
BAR-02 To be deepened to intersect main zone
BAR-03 101.5 104.9 3.4 1.0
including 101.9 102.9 1.0 2.4
BAR-04 122.0 122.9 0.9 1.6
142.5 143.1 0.6 4.5
BAR-05 133.7 135.4 1.7 0.4
BAR-06 181.6 182.8 1.2 0.6
BAR-07 Intersected intrusion cutting main zone
BAR-09 119.0 121.0 2.0 2.1
BAR-10 125.0 127.0 2.0 1.5
BAR-11 114.0 115.0 1.0 0.3
BAR-12 128.0 130.0 2.0 1.7
BAR-13 123.0 125.0 2.0 2.4
BAR-14 114.0 115.0 1.0 0.3
BAR-15 122.0 124.0 2.0 0.4
Valdegallegos Prospect
Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) WO3 %
BAR-08 97.9 98.8 0.9 2.7
107.5 109.5 2.0 0.6
In interpreting these results the following should be noted:
• Much of Western production comes from small, narrow vein underground
deposits. For comparison, ore reserve grades at two of the main Western
producing mines, Cantung (Canada) and Panasquiera (Portugal) are 1.17% and 0.23%
WO3, respectively.
• Drilling to-date at Barruecopardo has confirmed a steeply dipping zone
of tungsten mineralisation 550 metres long and 100 metres deep. This zone is
open / untested at depth and to the south (under the historic open-pit mine).
• The Barruecopardo tungsten mineralisation contains coarse grained
tungsten minerals which will yield a strong nugget effect and necessitates
closely spaced drilling and application of an upper cut for resource definition.
The preliminary figures indicate that an upper cut of 2.65% WO3 is applicable.
• Current prices for tungsten concentrates are in the region of US$180
per metric tonne unit (or US$18,000 per tonne of tungsten trioxide, WO3), with a
grade of 1% WO3 having an in-the-ground value of approximately US$180 per tonne
of mineralized rock. Prices have been reported as high as US$220 during the
past 12 months.
Kerr Anderson PhD EurGeol PGeo, Managing Director of Ormonde Mining plc, and a
qualified person as defined in the Guidance Note for Mining, Oil and Gas
Companies, March 2006, of the London Stock Exchange, has reviewed and approved
the technical information contained in this announcement.
A glossary explaining technical terms contained in this announcement can be
found at www.ormondemining.com/glossary.htm.
Enquiries to:
Kerr Anderson, Managing Director,
Ormonde Mining plc Tel: +353 (0)46 9073623
Simon Rothschild,
Bankside Consultants Tel: +44 (0)20 7367 8871 Mob: +44 (0)7703 167065
Eugenee Mulhern
Davy (Nominated Adviser to Ormonde) Tel: + 353 1 679 6363
Additional Information
Ormonde Mining plc is quoted on the AIM in London and the IEX in Dublin.
Ormonde is a mineral development and exploration company focused on Spain, with
the objective of developing mining projects and taking them into production.
Ormonde's main project is the La Zarza Copper-Gold Project in southern Spain
where a Bankable Feasibility Study is being carried out by leading international
engineering firms. A pre-feasibility study completed in September 2006 showed
positive economics for the development of an underground mining operation at La
Zarza.
Ormonde's management team has a proven track record in both taking projects
through feasibility into production, and in successful exploration.
For more information on the Company and its projects please visit
www.ormondemining.com.
About Tungsten
Tungsten is most frequently used as tungsten monocarbide, which has a hardness
close to diamond, in cemented carbides. The principal tungsten applications
include its use in cutting steels and in tungsten alloys, electronics, and
chemical products.
Prices of tungsten concentrates are expected to remain buoyant for the long
term, and are currently quoted by the Metal Bulletin in the range $160-$180 per
metric tonne unit. A metric tonne unit is equal to 10kg of WO3, which equates
to 1.0% contained WO3 in the rock.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange