RNS - RHA31 Aug 2018 08:08
Premier African Minerals Limited ("Premier" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the Company has commenced the diamond drilling programme at the open pit at the RHA Tungsten Mine ("RHA").
As stated in the announcement dated 14 August, the Company plans to drill a series of fifteen, inclined, 50m deep holes to determine the depth at which the ore body is sufficiently consolidated to allow resumption of open pit mining. This stage of the drill programme is expected to complete by end September and noteworthy results will be published as they are available.
Simultaneous with this, the open pit is now being remapped using UV lighting. Near surface, wolframite is often coated by a thin layer of scheelite, another major tungsten ore mineral with a distinctive blue-white fluorescence. In the open pit, wolframite may be difficult to identify, however this scheelite surface is easily visible and is expected to greatly assist in tracking mineralised zones. Existing data, open pit mining over the past two years, previous drilling, surface mapping and this new drill programme when combined will collectively lead to a definitive understanding of the mineralisation in the pit and will guide the future of the open pit.
The Company expects to release details of potential reprocessing of historic tailings in support of the reopening of underground operations. Contact with the Government of Zimbabwe remains open and we expect that following the inauguration of the President, final hurdles on the equity restructure at RHA will conclude.