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High Grade Intersections at Namib Lead/Zinc

12 Jul 2011 07:00

RNS Number : 1916K
North River Resources Plc
12 July 2011
 



North River Resources plc / Ticker: NRRP / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining

12 July 2011

North River Resources plc ('North River' or 'the Company')

High Grade Intersections Reported at Namib Lead/Zinc Project

 

North River Resources plc, the AIM listed multi-commodity resource company, is pleased to announce a positive update from its 100% owned Namib Lead/Zinc Project in Namibia ('Namib' or 'the Project'). This update follows a drilling campaign aimed at evaluating the potential of recommencing operations at the previously producing Namib Lead-Zinc Mine, with drilling focussed from the base of the historically mined level.

 

Overview:

 

·; Positive results from recent drilling campaign at the Project - 1,200m drilled in total during current programme

·; 13 of the 14 drill holes intersected what are believed to be the main mineralisation targets and what the Company believes was probably the ore body mined when the mine was last active between 1965 and 1992

·; Intersections include:

o 2.00m @ 12.16% zinc ('Zn'), 2.24% lead ('Pb'), 99g/t silver ('Ag') and 106ppm indium ('In')

o 8.11m @ 8.09% Zn, 1.06% Pb, 25g/t Ag, 36ppm In

o 5.14m @ 5.29% Zn, 2.29% Pb, 44g/t Ag, 20ppm In

o 2.16m @ 6.39% Zn, 5.96% Pb, 150g/t Ag, 31ppm In

·; Latest results and historic records support statements that there are strong indications of approximately 1,000,000 tonnes of high grade ore remaining in the 100m below Level 7 (the base of historic mining)

·; Mineralisation remains open at depth - evaluating an additional drill programme to test the ore bodies between 300m and 500m underground

·; Intention to commence conceptual engineering studies to establish possible extraction and processing options, capital requirements and operating costs

·; Completion of this exercise will enable the Company to establish what reserves / resources are required to justify re-opening the Project at various production levels and will form the basis of any decision to commence underground development to facilitate further exploration.

 

 

North River Managing Director David Steinepreis said, "The grades and intersections achieved at Namib Lead support our view that mineralisation continues at depth and add credibility to historic statements claiming 1,000,000 tonnes of ore remained at the time of mine closure in 1992.

 

"Given this increased confidence, we now intend to commence dewatering the lower levels of the mine and to complete conceptual engineering studies on the Namib project. These studies will examine possible extraction and processing options in order to establish order of magnitude capital and operating costs. Completion of this exercise will enable the Company to establish what reserves / resources are required to justify re-opening the Project at various production levels and will form the basis of any decision to commence underground development."

 

Drilling Campaign

 

The Company commenced an underground drilling campaign at Namib, which was in operation from 1965-1992, in April 2011. 14 drill-holes, NLDD018 to NLDD031, have been completed at the historically mined Junction Ore Body area of the Project bringing the total metres drilled in the current programme to 1,200m. An additional hole, NLDD032, is currently being drilled.

 

Assay results for seven of the drill-holes have been received from the Bureau Veritas laboratory in Swakopmund, made up of two batches of samples from NLDD018-020 (60 samples) and NLDD021-024 (99 samples). Significant results include:

 

NLDD022

From 5.00 to 9.76m 4.76m @ 3.97% Zn, 0.54% Pb, 14g/t Ag, 14ppm In

From 32.6 to 34.66m 2.06m @ 3.87% Zn, 2.07% Pb, 31g/t Ag, 11ppm In

From 41.43 to 43.59m 2.16m @ 6.39% Zn, 5.96% Pb, 150g/t Ag, 31ppm In

From 88.76 to 90.76m 2.00m @ 12.16% Zn, 2.24% Pb, 99g/t Ag, 106ppm In

 

NLDD023

From 12.78 to 17.92m 5.14m @ 5.29% Zn, 2.29% Pb, 44g/t Ag, 20ppm In

From 40.12 to 48.23m 8.11m @ 8.09% Zn, 1.06% Pb, 25g/t Ag, 36ppm In

 

NLDD024

From 38.31 to 40.40m 2.09m @ 5.52% Zn, 1.95% Pb, 33g/t Ag, 27ppm In

 

It should be noted that the drill-holes are drilled from the same collar position, 6.5 Level, approximately 180m below surface, due to limited suitable drill positions underground.

 

Additional results are expected in due course.

 

Further Information

 

The mineralisation at the Project forms a series of shoots of highly variable strike extent and thickness, but generally with consistent down-plunge extents. This makes intersecting the shoots difficult when drilling from the one collar position. As a result of the complex geological structure of the host rocks and the single drilling location, all mineralised intersections are down-hole thicknesses and have not been corrected to true thicknesses.

 

All the drill-holes, except one, have intersected zinc and lead mineralisation to some extent, but 8 of the 14 have intersected what are believed to be the main mineralisation targets and what the Company believes was probably the ore body mined when the mine was last active.

 

The visual logging and estimates of zinc and lead content has been reliable with semi-massive to massive mineralisation in the range of 3-10% Zn and/or Pb and the disseminated and stringer mineralisation in the range of 0.5-3% Zn and/or Pb. Mineralisation consists of sphalerite - galena - pyrrhotite - pyrite in varying amounts; in massive to semi-massive sulphide high grade zones sphalerite and/or galena dominate, while in some lower grade massive sulphide and stringer zones, pyrrhotite dominates.

 

Elevated silver and indium grades are also of significance with the silver correlating with lead and the indium with zinc.

 

A third batch of 98 samples from NLDD025-029 was sent to the Bureau Veritas laboratory in Swakopmund on 28 June 2011 and results are expected shortly.

 

The results obtained from the drilling so far provide an interesting comparison with historic unverified drill intersections noted on old plans, specifically:

Hole

Approx level

Intersection

N56

8 Level

1.0m @ 3.1% Zn, 3.7% Pb, 40g/t Ag

N66

10 Level

4.2m @ 10.5% Zn, 1.2% Pb, 46g/t Ag

N35

10 Level

3.2m @ 1.2% Zn, 5.6% Pb, 88g/t Ag

N57

10 Level

0.8m @ 8.9% Zn, 0.5% Pb, 10g/t Ag

N36

10.5 Level

2.0m @ 4.2% Zn, 0.8% Pb, 25g/t Ag

 

Levels at Namib Lead are at 30m spacings with 15m intermediate levels

 

It should be noted that it is not known if these intersections are down hole lengths or have been adjusted for true width.

 

The historic intersections are into four of what are believed to be six ore shoots in addition to the shoots currently being targeted. Mining is thought to stop at 7 Level in all but one shoot, the mine is flooded below 6.5 Level.

 

The current results and historic records tend to support statements made in 1992 at the time of the mine's closure that there was 1,000,000 tonnes of high grade ore remaining. It is thought that this claim refers to reserves from the base of historic mining at 7 Level (approx 200m) down to the base of historic drill records, approximately at 10 Level (300m).

 

Further Work Programme

 

North River now intends to commence dewatering the lower levels of the mine while completing a conceptual engineering study on the Project.

 

This study will examine possible extraction and processing options in order to establish order of magnitude capital and operating costs. Completion of this exercise will enable the Company to establish what reserves are required to justify re-opening the Project at various production levels and will form the basis of any decision to commence underground development to facilitate further exploration.

 

Now the underground survey work is largely complete North River will attempt to identify drill positions to test the ore bodies between 300m and 500m underground. The dewatered lower levels may offer some opportunities however it is likely that development will be required.

 

Review by a Qualified Person

 

Mr Jon Andrew, Manager-Geology for North River Resources, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained within this announcement in his capacity as a qualified person, as required under the AIM rules. Mr Andrew is a geologist with an Honours degree in Geology, has more than 15 years relevant experience and has been a Member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) for more than seven years.

 

 

**ENDS**

 

For further information please visit www.northriverresources.com or contact:

 

David Steinepreis

North River Resources Plc

Tel: +44 (0) 79 1340 2727

Luke Bryan

North River Resources Plc

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7292 9110

Guy Wilkes

Ocean Equities Ltd

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7784 4370

Stuart Faulkner

Strand Hanson Limited

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7409 3494

David Altberg

Strand Hanson Limited

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7409 3494

Hugo de Salis

St Brides Media & Finance Ltd

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177

Susie Geliher

St Brides Media & Finance Ltd

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177

 

Notes:

North River Resources plc is an AIM listed emerging multi-commodity resource development company. Its current portfolio includes gold, base metal and uranium assets in Namibia; uranium, and base and precious metal interests in Mozambique. North River's strategy is to identify, acquire and develop a portfolio of resource opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa at various stages of development in order to create value for its shareholders. The Company has a highly experienced board and management of industry and corporate professionals, led by David Steinepreis and Luke Bryan.

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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