05 July 2019
Kazera Global plc
JORC (2012) compliant Mineral Resource at Homestead and Purple Haze Deposits
Kazera Global plc ("Kazera Global", "Kazera" or the "Company"), the AIM quoted investment company which, through its stake in African Tantalum (Pty) Limited ("Aftan"), has an interest in the Namibia Tantalite Investment Mine ("NTI" or the "Mine") in Namibia is pleased to announce maiden JORC (2012) compliant Mineral Resource estimates over the Homestead and Purple Haze deposits at NTI.
Highlights
· Maiden JORC (2012) compliant combined total Indicated and Inferred tantalite and lithium Mineral Resource at Homestead and Purple Haze deposits of 324.6 thousand tonnes ("kt"), with further resource upside expected to be identified
· Strong grades of tantalite shown across both deposits, with an average grade of 323 parts per million ("ppm") Ta2O5 including 911 ppm Ta2O5 in the Indicated Tantalum Mineral Resource at Purple Haze
· Higher than anticipated grades of Lithium across both deposits, with an average grade of 4,410 ppm Li2O, including 10,800 ppm Li2O in portion of the Homestead Mine Mineral Resource
· Homestead resources in line with pre-drill estimates, showing both strong tantalite and lithium potential for economic production with total indicated and inferred resources of 199.1 kt and an average tantalite grade of 237 ppm Ta2O5 and an average lithium grade of 3,875 ppm Li2O across the deposit
· Purple Haze resources above pre-drill estimates, showing both strong tantalite and lithium potential for economic production, with total indicated and inferred resources of 125.5 kt and an average tantalite grade of 459 ppm Ta2O5 and an average lithium grade of 5,259 ppm Li2O across the deposit
· Further tantalum and lithium resources expected to be added to the JORC (2012) compliant Mineral Resource estimate across Tantalite Valley, through exploration at Homestead, Purple Haze, White City and Signaalberg deposits
Following the completion of the drilling campaign at Homestead and Purple Haze deposits by NTI under the supervision of MSA Group, the results now clearly demonstrate the potential at these two deposits. With an enhanced understanding of the mineralisation, further drilling is expected at both deposits to enhance the resources. A wider exploration programme is ongoing.
A map of the drilled boreholes can be found using the following link:
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/5797E_1-2019-7-4.pdf
Homestead
Homestead has been mined for tantalum historically, however, clear pods of spodumene and lepidolite concentrations are exposed in the underground mine workings that required investigation through the exploration programme. Interpretation of results of the ongoing core diamond drilling and channel sampling programme over a part of the Homestead deposit has demonstrated positive results, in line with pre-drill expectations, such that a maiden JORC (2012) compliant Mineral Resource estimate has been declared. This is an important first step in understanding the size of Homestead and will guide the planned further exploration aimed at expanding the Homestead Mineral Resource by step out drilling and exploring areas of Homestead that remain undrilled from the first phase.
Importantly, the results of the drilling and sampling so far have proven the concentrated nature of the Tantalite and the need for future closely spaced drilling to understand the full potential of the mineralised areas.
Purple Haze
The Purple Haze pegmatite is the most visibly well-mineralised tantalum-lithium bearing pegmatite on the property. The maiden Mineral Resource estimate for Purple Haze has confirmed the high tantalite grades indicated by the historical exploration. Importantly, the declared Mineral Resource only accounts for the already exposed portion of the pegmatite deposit and for a limited distance down-dip, which the Company believes is only a fraction of the pegmatite's potential.
MSA, during their last extended visit in May this year, added further drill hole sites to both the up-dip and down-dip areas of the exposed pegmatite. The results of the additional drilling are expected shortly and will be used to update the current Mineral Resource.
Based on the excellent grades of Purple Haze and little historical data, MSA felt this to be of great importance as it will provide information towards furthering the Company's understanding of the mineralization and the potential for mining operations at Purple Haze.
The high-grade Tantalite Mineral Resource also contains very significant concentrations of Li2O, and, in addition to the Li2O occurring within the Tantalite Mineral Resource, a Lithium Mineral Resource has been declared by MSA. The Li2O grades within both the Tantalite and Lithium Mineral Resource are economically significant and are similar to the Rubicon and Helikon Lithium Project Mineral Resources near Karibib, also in Namibia.
MSA Group Report: JORC (2012) Complaint Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for both Homestead and Purple Haze deposits as at 28 June 2019
Total All - Combined Tantalite and Lithium |
|||||
Pegmatite |
Zone |
Class |
Tonnes (Thousands) |
Li2O |
Ta2O5 |
Purple Haze |
Tantalite+Lithium |
Indicated |
19.4 |
5,500 |
911 |
Tantalite+Lithium |
Inferred |
58.8 |
4,300 |
650 |
|
Lithium |
Indicated |
11.6 |
5,900 |
36 |
|
Lithium |
Inferred |
35.7 |
6,500 |
35 |
|
Purple Haze |
All |
Indicated |
31.0 |
5,650 |
584 |
All |
Inferred |
94.5 |
5,131 |
418 |
|
Purple Haze |
All |
Sub-Total |
125.5 |
5,259 |
459 |
Homestead |
Mining Area |
Indicated |
73.8 |
6,900 |
355 |
Mining Area |
Inferred |
16.2 |
10,800 |
361 |
|
Outside Mining Area |
Inferred |
109.1 |
800 |
139 |
|
Homestead |
All |
Indicated |
73.8 |
6,900 |
355 |
All |
Inferred |
125.3 |
2,093 |
168 |
|
Homestead |
All |
Sub-Total |
199.1 |
3,875 |
237 |
Tantalite Valley |
Indicated |
104.8 |
6,530 |
423 |
|
Inferred |
219.8 |
3,399 |
275 |
||
Total |
324.6 |
4,410 |
323 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total Tantalite (excludes Purple Haze Lithium) |
|||||||
Pegmatite |
Zone |
Class |
Tonnes (Thousands) |
Li2O |
Ta2O5 |
||
Purple Haze |
Tantalite+Lithium |
Indicated |
19.4 |
5,500 |
911 |
||
Tantalite+Lithium |
Inferred |
58.8 |
4,300 |
650 |
|||
Purple Haze |
All |
Indicated |
19.4 |
5,500 |
911 |
||
All |
Inferred |
58.8 |
4,300 |
650 |
|||
Purple Haze |
All |
Sub-Total |
78.2 |
4,598 |
715 |
||
Homestead |
Mining Area |
Indicated |
73.8 |
6,900 |
355 |
||
Mining Area |
Inferred |
16.2 |
10,800 |
361 |
|||
Outside Mining Area |
Inferred |
109.1 |
800 |
139 |
|||
Homestead |
All |
Indicated |
73.8 |
6,900 |
355 |
||
All |
Inferred |
125.3 |
2,093 |
168 |
|||
Homestead |
All |
Sub-Total |
199.1 |
3,875 |
237 |
||
Tantalite Valley |
Indicated |
93.2 |
6,609 |
471 |
|||
Inferred |
184.1 |
2,798 |
322 |
||||
Total |
277.3 |
4,079 |
372 |
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total Lithium (excludes Homestead Outside Mining Area) |
|||||||
Pegmatite |
Zone |
Class |
Tonnes (Thousands) |
Li2O |
Ta2O5 |
||
Purple Haze |
Tantalite+Lithium |
Indicated |
19.4 |
5,500 |
911 |
||
Tantalite+Lithium |
Inferred |
58.8 |
4,300 |
650 |
|||
Lithium |
Indicated |
11.6 |
5,900 |
36 |
|||
Lithium |
Inferred |
35.7 |
6,500 |
35 |
|||
Purple Haze |
All |
Indicated |
31.0 |
5,650 |
584 |
||
All |
Inferred |
94.5 |
5,131 |
418 |
|||
Purple Haze |
All |
Sub-Total |
125.5 |
5,259 |
459 |
||
Homestead |
Mining Area |
Indicated |
73.8 |
6,900 |
355 |
||
Mining Area |
Inferred |
16.2 |
10,800 |
361 |
|||
Homestead |
All |
Indicated |
73.8 |
6,900 |
355 |
||
All |
Inferred |
16.2 |
10,800 |
361 |
|||
Homestead |
All |
Sub-Total |
90.0 |
7,602 |
356 |
||
Tantalite Valley |
Indicated |
104.8 |
6,530 |
423 |
|||
Inferred |
110.7 |
5,961 |
409 |
||||
Total |
215.5 |
6,238 |
416 |
||||
Notes:
1 All tabulated data have been rounded and as a result minor computational errors may occur.
2 Mineral Resources which are not Ore Reserves have no demonstrated economic viability.
3 The Mineral Resource is reported as 100% of the Mineral Resource for the project.
4 Depleted by the extent of mine workings.
5 Homestead Mineral Resources were estimated using a mining cut of 4 m.
6 Tantalite Mineral Resources were estimated using a threshold of 80 ppm Ta and Lithium Mineral Resources were estimated using a threshold of 300 ppm Li.
Larry Johnson, CEO of Kazera commented:
"We are delighted by these initial results particularly those at Purple Haze where there exists significant opportunity to deliver high quantities and grades of both tantalite and lithium. The initial resource numbers at Purple Haze were ahead of what we initially expected and we look forward to additional resources there and at White City, Signaalberg and through additional drilling at Homestead.
With a water supply option, government certified via the Orange River, and a maiden JORC compliant Mineral Resource confirmed, NTI continues to show the capacity to become a long-term mine for stable production. Today's result represents the first of a number of phases in identifying the total mineralization on the portfolio."
**ENDS**
Kazera Global plc (c/o Camarco) |
Tel: +44 (0)203 757 4980 |
Larry Johnson (CEO) |
|
finnCap (Nominated Adviser and Joint broker) Scott Mathieson / Anthony Adams (corporate finance) |
Tel: +44 (0)207 220 0500
|
Shore Capital (Joint broker) Jerry Keen (corporate broking) |
Tel: +44 (0)207 408 4090 |
Camarco (PR) Gordon Poole / James Crothers / Monique Perks |
Tel: +44 (0)203 781 8331 |
The technical information contained in this disclosure has been read and approved by Mr Jeremy Witley (Pr. Sci. Nat., FGSSA), who is a qualified geologist and acts as the Competent Person under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Jeremy Witley has visited the NTI Mine site and reviewed MSA's drilling and sampling protocols and procedures. Mr Witley is a Principal Mineral Resource Consultant working for the MSA Group Pty Ltd, which has been engaged by Kazera Global to provide technical support.
The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.