Last checked at 17 Oct 2022 07:00
RNS Number : 017D Kefi Gol an Copper PLC 17 October 2022 16017 October 2022
KEFI Gol an Copper plc
("KEFI" or the "Company")
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Renewal of the Jibal Qutman Exploration Licence K/144
KEFI (AIM: KEFI), the gol an copper exploration an evelopment company with projects in the Feeral Democratic Republic of Ethiopia an the Kingom of Saui Arabia is please to announce the renewal of the Jibal Qutman Exploration Licence (K/144) in Saui Arabia. This licence inclues the previously announce mineral resource of 733,000 oz which forms the basis of the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Stuy ("DFS") an evelopment plan through Company's Gol an Minerals Limite ("GM") joint venture in Saui Arabia. This renewal opens the way for the commencement of fiel programmes an environmental stuies, necessary for the awar of the Jibal Qutman Mining Licence. 160GM is owne 30% by KEFI an 70% by its partner Abul Rahman Saa Al Rashi an Sons Lt ("ARTAR").
Highlights
183160160160 'Jibal Qutman' Exploration Licence (EL K/144) has been renewe on a -year term covering 99.68Km2.
183160160160 Fiel programmes incluing the construction of the pioneer's camp, environmental baseline stuies an geotechnical an metallurgical iamon rilling, will now commence.
183160160160 The 2Mtpa CIL (Carbon-In-Leach) DFS remains on target for completion at the en of Q4 2022/early Q1 2023, with environmental permits targete for Q1 2023.
183160 160160This licence gives the company access to a 270Km2 'Jibal Qutman Exploration Area' which also consists of the recently issue 'Jibal Qutman North' an 'Jibal Qutman Southeast' exploration licences, covering a significant portion of the highly prospective 'Nabitah-Tathlith' gol belt (see Figure 1 in the appenix, accessible here: http://www.rns-pf.lononstockexchange.com/rns/017D_1-2022-10-16.pf).
183160160160 GM has at the same time, initiate iscussions with the Saui Investment Development Fun (SIDF) surrouning project funing to be finalise once the mining licence has been aware.
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Executive Chairman, Mr Harry Anagnostaras-Aams, commente:
"The re-issuance of the Jibal Qutman exploration licence is a critical milestone on the Jibal Qutman roa to gol prouction. As previously announce, this licence, which covers the main Jibal Qutman resource area, will allow the exploration an project teams to re-enter the site an complete the fiel work an testing require to close out the DFS by the start of next year which will then be use to support the mining licence application.
"The exploration teams are also excite to get back into the fiel an start the process of expaning the existing resource at Jibal Qutman an making new iscoveries in this highly prospective 270Km2 lan package that has been create for KEFI's Gol an Minerals joint venture."
160Jibal Qutman Project Backgroun
Geology an Exploration
As announce on 3 August 2022, the lan access issues which have elaye the start of the 733,04 oz Jibal Qutman Gol Project have been resolve. As part of this process, it has been agree that an area of over 270Km2 is to be grante, covering the original Jibal Qutman Exploration Licence, plus a significant lan package along strike to the north an south (see Figure 1 in the appenix)
The maximum exploration licence ("EL") size permitte uner the 2020 upate Saui mining law are typically 100Km2, as such, three licences are require to cover the complete exploration area. All three of these licences have now been issue. 160
The Jibal Qutman North an Jibal Qutman Southeast ELs cover the north an south strike extension of the main Jibal Qutman gol system, which forms part of the highly prospective Nabitah-Tathlith Fault Zone that runs north-south across much of the Arabian Shiel.
Ancient an more moern artisanal mining excavations are known to exist within the licence areas an the GM exploration team is confient of its ability to significantly expan the existing Jibal Qutman resource base. Thirteen grab samples of mine umps in the Jibal Qutman Southeast EL taken by GM in 2014, returne graes of up to 66. g/t gol, averaging 10. g/t gol across all 13 samples. Ancient mining appears to have targete quartz veins with ump material presenting as quartz with strongly bane sulphies- these veins have not yet been ientifie in outcrop, as the area is preominantly covere by alluvial/aeonian sans an gravels. However, the quantity of ump material an the extent of more recent artisanal mining are encouraging signs of significant, sub-cropping continuation of the Jibal Qutman gol system. Grab samples within the Jibal Qutman North EL area have returne gol graes of up to 4.1 g/t gol, also associate with quartz veining.
GM exploration within the Jibal Qutman EL prior to 2016 focuse on the 'Main Zone' tren, which presents as quartz veins hoste within eforme volcanics an seiments. Shortly before the en of this exploration phase, a secon mineralise structure was ientifie hoste within ultramafics on the eastern part of the Jibal Qutman EL. This structure known as the 'Re Hill' tren is yet to be fully explore an is open both along strike an at epth within the Jibal Qutman resource area. Regional mapping has also ientifie this structure within the ajoining Jibal Qutman North an Southeast ELs, although at this stage it is unteste.
Jibal Qutman DFS
Progress on the DFS continues, with Front En Engineering an Design (FEED), plant layout an reserve efinition nearing completion. Metallurgical testing continues an preliminary geotechnical esign parameters have been agree.
Whilst much of the DFS is being complete remotely, access to the fiel is require to establish the baseline as part of the Environmental an Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) an to complete the final geotechnical evaluation of the propose reserve pits as well as metallurgical an comminution testworks. The issuance of the Jibal Qutman licence will now enable these stuies an rilling programmes to be complete an at this stage, GM believes the project is still on track to procee with financing an mining licence submission in early 2023.
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Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure
This announcement contains insie information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 96/2014 as it forms part of UK omestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), an is isclose in accorance with the Company's obligations uner Article 17 of MAR.
Enquiries
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Competent Person Statement
The information in this announcement that relates to geology, exploration results an mineral resources is base on information compile by Mr Tomos Bryan, Exploration Manager for Gol Minerals Limite. Mr Bryan is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining an Metallurgy ("AusIMM"). Mr Bryan is a geologist with sufficient relevant experience for Company reporting to qualify as a Competent Person as efine in the JORC Coe 2012. Mr Bryan consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the non-financial matters base on this information in the form an context in which it appears.
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