27 Nov 2019 09:37
27 November 2019
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THOR MINING PLC
COMPANY UPDATE
The Directors of Thor Mining Plc ("Thor") (AIM, ASX: THR) are pleased to provide the following update on recent Company activities.
Molyhil Tungsten & Molybdenum Project, and Bonya Tungsten Joint Venture
An updated mineral resource estimate at Molyhil was announced on 10 October 2019, an increase of 1.5% and 9.3% to the tungsten and molybdenum resources compared with the previous estimates respectively. Thor owns 100% of Molyhil.
The 19 hole second drill program at Bonya has now completed with very encouraging preliminary XRF results. Laboratory assay results are expected mid-December and we look forward to those. Work on a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for the first of the Bonya deposits will then commence and we expect this to be complete during January 2020. The Bonya resource is expected to add significant value to the Molyhil project through an improved production profile and increased mine life. Thor holds a 40% interest in the Bonya JV.
EnviroCopper
A resource of 66.1MT @ 0.17% Cu for 114,000 tonnes contained copper at Moonta was announced on 15 August, 2019. This adds a substantial Cu resource to the EnviroCopper inventory, in addition to the 47.4MT @ 0.25% Cu for 119,000 tonnes contained copper resource at Kapunda.
Field pump trials have recently been successfully conducted at Kapunda with 3 holes drilled and tested. The results to date indicate strong connectivity between holes essential for successful Insitu Recovery process. Preliminary portable XRF assays also suggest above resource grade copper values in these holes, however portable XRF testing is not suitable for gold sightings. We look forward to laboratory assay results for copper and gold, along with other metals in the next few weeks.
Pilot Mountain
Thor has commenced discussions with a number of US investors to advance the Pilot Mountain project. Further updates will be provided to the market as appropriate.
Pilbara Gold
As announced on 6 November 2019, visible gold was found in stream sediment samples. This first pass stream sediment and survey, was successful in locating visible gold in 13 sites, with several considered, by directors, to be potentially significant. Once laboratory analysis of the collected samples is complete, the next stage of work, likely to be infill work, and upstream sampling will be conducted, with a view of establishing drill targets.
Non-core investments
During November, Thor sold 5,470,000 shares of Hawkstone Mining Limited realising gross proceeds of A$41,800. Thor now holds 9,764,375 shares of Hawkstone Mining Limited valued at approximately A$70,000 at current prices.
In addition, Thor holds a 95% interest in a productionΒ royalty entitlementΒ fromΒ theΒ SpringΒ HillΒ GoldΒ project in the Northern Territory of Australia. Directors expect this project to commence production in 2020. Thor will evaluate all options relating to this royalty investment which may include a sale of the royalty.
Corporate
The Directors of Thor have taken steps to reduce Directors remuneration , with estimated annual savings approaching UKΒ£100,000. These savings have been implemented from 1 November 2019.
In addition, the deferral of non-essential project expenditure has been implemented which will conserve cash during the March quarter of 2020.
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Mr Mick Billing, Executive Chairman, commented:
"We continue to advance exploration activities at the Bonya joint venture to enhance the value of the Molyhil project. Drill results have so far been very pleasing with higher than expected grades at White Violet. We look forward to our initial resource estimate at Bonya scheduled for January2020. Our objective of increasing the resource inventory available for the proposed Molyhil processing plant will, we believe, significantly enhance the prospects for funding the Molyhil development."
"Our copper investment, and our recent early stage success with Pilbara gold exploration are very exciting and we plan to build upon these while keeping outlays to a minimum. The Australian government grant funding for Kapunda for example, ensures ongoing development at this project, without requiring significant funding from Thor."
"We have now implemented cost saving initiatives, including significant reductions in director remuneration and deferral of non-essential project expenditure which will conserve cash resources as we progress discussions with potential investors for Molyhil and Pilot Mountain."
"We have also taken steps towards monetising several of our non-core assets, and will report on each of these as progress is made."
"Our core assets, however, still hold significant value, and we firmly believe that these will, in due course, deliver substantial returns for our shareholders".
Enquiries:
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UpdatesΒ onΒ theΒ Company'sΒ activitiesΒ areΒ regularlyΒ postedΒ onΒ Thor'sΒ website Β www.thormining.com,Β which includesΒ aΒ facilityΒ toΒ registerΒ toΒ receiveΒ theseΒ updatesΒ byΒ email,Β andΒ onΒ theΒ Company'sΒ twitterΒ page @ThorMining.
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AboutΒ ThorΒ MiningΒ PLC
ThorΒ MiningΒ PLCΒ (AIM,Β ASX:Β THR)Β isΒ aΒ resourcesΒ companyΒ quotedΒ onΒ theΒ AIMΒ MarketΒ ofΒ theΒ LondonΒ Stock Exchange andΒ onΒ ASXΒ in Australia.
ThorΒ holdsΒ 100%Β ofΒ the advancedΒ Molyhil tungsten project in the NorthernΒ Territory of Australia, forΒ which anΒ updated feasibility study inΒ August 2018ΒΉΒ suggestedΒ attractive returns.
Adjacent Molyhil, at Bonya, Thor holds a 40% interest in deposits of tungsten, copper, and vanadium, including an Inferred resource for the Bonya copper depositΒ².
ThorΒ alsoΒ holdsΒ 100%Β ofΒ theΒ PilotΒ MountainΒ tungstenΒ projectΒ inΒ NevadaΒ USAΒ whichΒ hasΒ aΒ JORCΒ 2012 Indicated andΒ InferredΒ Resources EstimateΒ³Β onΒ 2Β ofΒ theΒ 4 knownΒ deposits. The US Department of the Interior has confirmed that tungsten, the primary resource mineral at Pilot Mountain, has been included in the final list of Critical Minerals 2018.
ThorΒ holds aΒ 25%Β interestΒ AustralianΒ copper developmentΒ companyΒ EnviroCopper Limited (with rights to increase its interest to 30%). EnviroCopper LimitedΒ holds:
Β·; rightsΒ toΒ earnΒ upΒ toΒ aΒ 75%Β interestΒ inΒ theΒ mineralΒ rights andΒ claims overΒ the resourceβ΄ on the portionΒ of the historic KapundaΒ copperΒ mineΒ inΒ SouthΒ Australia recoverableΒ by way ofΒ in situ recovery; and
Β·; rights to earn up to 75% of the Moonta copper project, also in South Australia comprising the northern portion of exploration licence EL5984 and includes a resource estimateβ΅ for several deposits.
ThorΒ hasΒ anΒ interestΒ inΒ Hawkstone MiningΒ Limited,Β anΒ AustralianΒ ASX listed company withΒ aΒ 100%Β Interest inΒ a LithiumΒ project with a JORC compliant resourceΒ in Arizona, USA.
Finally,Β ThorΒ also holdsΒ a productionΒ royalty entitlementΒ fromΒ theΒ SpringΒ HillΒ GoldΒ projectβΆ of:
β’ Β A$6Β perΒ ounceΒ ofΒ goldΒ producedΒ fromΒ theΒ SpringΒ HillΒ tenementsΒ whereΒ theΒ goldΒ producedΒ isΒ soldΒ forΒ up to A$1,500Β perΒ ounce;Β and
β’ Β A$14Β perΒ ounceΒ ofΒ goldΒ producedΒ fromΒ theΒ SpringΒ HillΒ tenementsΒ whereΒ theΒ goldΒ producedΒ isΒ soldΒ for amountsΒ overΒ A$1,500Β perΒ ounce.
Notes
ΒΉΒ ReferΒ ASXΒ andΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 23Β AugustΒ 2018
Β² ReferΒ ASXΒ andΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 26Β NovemberΒ 2018
Β³Β ReferΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 13 December 2018Β andΒ ASXΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 14 December 2018
β΄Β ReferΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 10Β FebruaryΒ 2016Β andΒ ASXΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 12Β FebruaryΒ 2018
β΅ ReferΒ ASXΒ andΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 15 AugustΒ 2019
βΆ ReferΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 26Β FebruaryΒ 2016Β andΒ ASXΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 29Β FebruaryΒ 2016
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