ALO.L Share News (ALO)

Alecto Minerals, an AIM-listed mineral exploration company, has agreed a deal with Layne Drilling to carry out a programme of drilling at its Wad Amour Project in Mauritania. Sampling at the site has previously returned grades of as much as 5.79% copper at surface level. Chief Executive Mark Jones said: "We are delighted to be progressing our Mauritanian Wad Amour Project with a well-defined and targeted reverse circulation drilling programme. The visible copper mineralisation at surface across the Chiron target shows exciting potential if the trend can be replicated at depth as this current target is more than 300 metres long and 150 metres wide, within a wider area of mineralisation up to 3km in length. "Establishing a viable copper asset in Mauritania will strengthen Alecto's diversified portfolio, which also includes our flagship Kossanto Gold Project in Mali where drilling is focussed on significantly increasing the current 107,000 ounce gold resource, and our Ethiopian gold projects which are held under a joint venture with Centamin, providing security and value to our shareholders."The programme of drilling will begin at the Chiron target in April 2014 to test its copper and gold potential at depth. NR