Brazilian Gold Project Update
Horizonte Minerals PLC
25 September 2007
Horizonte Minerals plc / Index: AIM / Epic: HZM / Sector: Mining
25th September 2007
Horizonte Minerals plc ('Horizonte' or 'the Company')
Drilling results highlight gold prospectivity of Brazilian project
Horizonte Minerals plc, the AIM listed exploration and development company
focused on Brazil and Peru, is pleased to announce positive results from the
second phase drilling at its 100% owned 300 sq km Tangara gold project in
Brazil. These results, in tandem with previous work, underpin the Company's
belief that the Tangara gold project has the potential to contain a number of
small to medium size gold deposits which can be developed from a central plant
similar to the nearby Andhorinas gold project operated by Troy Resources.
Highlights:
•DDH13 - 12m grading 5.0 g/t Au from 89 m downhole including;
2m grading 18.7 g/t (0.6 oz/t) Au, with 13 g/t Ag
•DDH14 - 2m @ 4.8 g/t Au
•DDH23 - 2m @ 4.25 g/t Au
•DDH24 - 4m @ 2.4 g/t Au
•Currently developing 5 further targets within 3.5 km of the Gerson Pit
The 14 hole drill programme totalling 1,723m, tested a number of geochemical and
geophysical targets around the Malvinas Zone on the Tangara concession. The main
focus of the drilling was around the discovery hole DDH-04, drilled in late 2006
on the Gerson Pit, which returned 35m grading 2.5 g/t Au. The principle economic
gold intersections are highlighted below - all other holes returned elevated
gold, silver and zinc values but only at pathfinder levels.
The results from DDH-13 and DDH-14 demonstrate the potential for mineralisation
in the Tangara Project area to generate ore zones of significant width for open
pit mining and with high grade intervals that that would be amenable to
underground mining.
DDH-13 is situated 60m west of DDH-04, the discovery hole. Mineralisation in
DDH-13 is similar in style and produced 12m @ 5.0g/t, including 2m grading 18.7g
/t, within a 16m wide alteration zone. Drilling has also confirmed the
association of zinc and silver enrichment associated with the gold
mineralisation as indicated by DDH-04. Further analysis will determine the true
significance of this association. In DDH-13 zinc values averaged 0.24% and reach
a peak of 0.55% in the gold zone. Silver over the same 12m interval averaged
7.8g/t with a peak value of 17.3g/t.
Drillhole From (m) To (m) Int(m) Au (g/t) Zn (%) Ag (g/t) Highlights
DDH_13 89.0 90.0 1.0 2.4 0.0 4.1 12m @ 5.0g/t incl 2m @ 18.7g/t
90.0 91.0 1.0 3.5 0.1 6.9
91.0 92.0 1.0 1.1 0.5 4.2
92.0 93.0 1.0 2.5 0.5 6.5
93.0 94.0 1.0 10.4 0.1 12.5
94.0 95.0 1.0 17.3 0.1 13.9
95.0 96.0 1.0 3.7 0.1 5.4
96.0 97.0 1.0 3.7 0.1 4.1
97.0 97.8 0.8 2.3 0.2 5.1
97.8 98.7 0.9 2.4 0.4 6.5
98.7 99.7 1.0 2.4 0.0 4.1
99.7 101.0 1.3 1.6 0.6 17.3
Hole DDH-14, 60m to the west of DDH-13, hit a wide zone of sulphide
mineralisation from 38m to 86.4m, cut by a 14.65m wide post-mineralisation dyke
from 58.75m to 73.4m. On the hanging wall side of the dyke, results included a
12m zone @ +0.7% Zn with 0.47g/t Au. (This zone includes 4 one metre intervals
assaying greater than the upper limit of detection of 1% Zn. These samples are
currently being re-analysed). Close to the dyke and in the footwall,
mineralisation is weaker. The unexpectedly shallow intersection of the
mineralised zone and influence of the dyke are still being evaluated. A second
mineralised zone in the hole produced a 2m @ 4.6g/t Au at 106m centred within a
15.4m zone averaging 0.5%Zn. The structure remains open to the west.
Drillholes DDH-24 & DDH-25, drilled below holes DDH-04 & DDH-13 respectively,
intersected the mineralised zones. DDH-24 gave a 17m zone with sulphides
including 4m @ 2.5g/t Au at 122m within a 6.5m wide 0.4% Zn halo. DDH-25
returned 11.7m zone with sulphides including 4m @ 1.4g/t Au at 128m above a 4m
wide 0.3% Zn halo.
DDH From (m) To (m) Int(m) Au (g/t) Zn (%) Ag (g/t) Highlights
--------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
DDH-14 106.0 108.0 2.0 4.6 0.9 3.2 2m @ 4.8g/t Au
--------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
DDH-23 12.0 14.0 2.0 0.0 0.6 3.2
--------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
14.0 16.0 2.0 0.0 0.9 1.9
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ -------
-----------
16.0 18.0 2.0 2.3 0.2 1.4 2m @ 2.3g/t Au
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
150.0 152.0 2.0 4.3 0.0 0.5 2m @ 4.3g/t Au
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
---------
DDH-24 120.0 122.0 2.0 0.5 0.5 1.7
--------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
122.0 124.0 2.0 2.3 0.1 4.5 4m @ 2.4g/t Au
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
124.0 126.0 2.0 2.6 0.1 3.6
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ -------
-----------
126.0 127.5 1.5 0.6 0.4 5.4
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
---------
DDH-25 128.0 130.0 2.0 1.1 0.0 0.7 4m @ 1.4g/t Au
--------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
130.0 132.0 2.0 1.8 0.1 1.7
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ -------
-----------
132.0 133.0 1.0 0.1 0.9 5.3
------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- -----------
The Troy Andhorinas project represents a benchmark for Tangara. Troy purchased
its project in November 2006 for US$10.14 million cash (Troy PR 16, Nov. 2006).
Lagoa Seca deposit contains indicated and inferred resources of 700,000 t
grading 2.8 g/t Au for 64,000 oz. Troy is developing this with other gold
deposits on the project. Open-pit modelling on Lagoa Seca has defined a probable
reserve of 480,000 t grading 3.1 g/t Au for 48,320 oz (Source Troy Quarterly
Report ended 30 June 2007).
It is Horizonte's management's belief that the Tangara project has the equal
potential to define a number of small to medium size gold deposits of between
100,000 and 250,000 oz that can be developed from a central plant. Total
resources for example at Andhorinas are 3,997,000 t grading 3.4 g/t Au in 3
deposits for total in-situ contained gold of 435,000 oz. (Source Troy Quarterly
Report ended 30 June 2007).
Horizonte is currently evaluating the drill results and is developing 5 other
targets within 3.5 km of the Gerson Pit. The Company controls 100% of the
Tangara project and is well financed to develop these targets to early resource
status along with the Gerson discovery.
Horizonte CEO Jeremy Martin said, 'These drill results are exciting as they
demonstrate that there is continuity to gold mineralisation at the Gerson Pit
target, which is also similar in style to that found at the Andhorinas gold
project. Within the structure, we have identified zones of high grade gold
within a broader low grade envelope which supports our geological model for the
area. The mineralised system is more complex than originally anticipated and
will require far closer spaced drilling than undertaken to date to take it
through to resource definition, as currently underway at Andhorinas. To date
Horizonte has tested only 3 of the 8 target areas identified within the 5km
target area that forms the Malvinas Trend. There are also several other high
priority targets within the wider project area, for example the Pampeana target
10km to the south west of Malvinas that also require follow up.'
Sampling, assaying, and QA/QC
Procedures adopted by Horizonte in the collection, preparation and storage of
samples from the auger drilling programme, conform to industry-wide best
practice and with chain of custody being observed for all samples. Analysis is
undertaken by ALS Labs at its laboratories in Vancouver, Canada, and the Company
maintains QA/QC on all analytical work via the inclusion of certified reference
materials and field duplicates and blanks, in addition to monitoring of the
laboratory's own internal check-analyses.
The above information has been reviewed and verified by Mr. Jeremy Martin, a
Director and Chief Executive of Horizonte, for the purposes of the Guidance Note
for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies issued by the London Stock Exchange in March
2006. Mr. Martin, with six years of mining and management experience, graduated
with a degree in geology from the Camborne School of Mines, and an MSc in
mineral exploration from the University of Leicester and is a member in good
standing with the Society of Economic Geologists and the Institute of Mining
Analysts.
* * ENDS * *
For further information visit www.horizonteminerals.com or contact:
Jeremy Martin/David Hall Horizonte Minerals plc Tel: 020 7495 5446
David Paxton Hichens Harrison Tel: 020 7382 7785
Hugo de Salis St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Tel: 020 7242 4477
John Frain/Fergal Meegan Davy Tel: +353 1 679 6363
Notes to Editors:
Horizonte Minerals Plc is an AIM listed exploration and development company
focused on gold, silver and base metal opportunities in Brazil and Peru. It aims
to become, through experience and a track record of discovery success, to become
the preferred exploration partner for Major gold and base metal mining
companies, in the region.
The Group's has two flagship gold exploration projects in Brazil, a one
silver-zinc-lead project in Peru as well as additional gold, zinc and nickel
exploration projects in Brazil. The two Brazilian gold projects, Tangara and
Falcao, south of the highly prospective Carajas Mineral Province each cover an
area of approximately 300 sq km and are centred over greenstone belts, with
known gold mineralisation. The scale of these project areas, early results, the
overall aerial extent of the mineralised system and the high density and
magnitude of related gold anomalies, indicate the potential for multiple deposit
discoveries.
The El Aguila silver-zinc-lead project is located in the historic mining
district of Cerro de Pasco in Central Peru. Drilling has demonstrated the high
grade potential of this project. Additional projects include the 4,660 hectare
on the prospective Achaean aged Crixas greenstone belt, where multiple
nickel-copper anomalies have been defined and the 25,556 hectare Lontra Ni
Project situated in the Araguaia mobile belt, which flanks the eastern margin of
the Carajas Mineral Province of northern Brazil.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
GNZM