23 Apr 2019 07:00
23 April 2019
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RESOURCE ESTIMATE COMMISSIONED - MOONTA COPPER PROJECT
The Board of Thor Mining Plc ("Thor" or the "Company") (AIM, ASX: THR), is pleased to announce it has been advised by Enviro Copper Limited ("Enviro Copper") of commencement of resource estimation work for several of the deposits at the Moonta Copper Project in South Australia.
Enviro Copper Ltd, via its subsidiary Environmental Metals Recovery Pty Ltd (EMR) is earning up to a 75% interest in the Moonta Copper project from Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX: "ADN").
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Highlights:
Β· Mining consultancy, Mining Plus engaged to prepare a Mineral Resource Estimate on several of the deposits at the Moonta Copper Project considered amenable to Insitu Recovery (ISR);
Β· Numerous drill holes into some Moonta deposits over several decades, provide basis for resource estimation;
Β· Thor Mining PLC to hold up to 30% equity in Enviro Copper prior to listing activities, potentially scheduled for later in 2019;
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Mick Billing, Executive Chairman, commented:
"This is a very exciting development in our copper strategy, to develop a potentially large ISR focussed copper business, initially in Australia."
"The non-invasive production technique of In-situ Recovery of copper has the potential to co-exist without significant disruption to farming and once completed, have little to no impact on future agricultural land use. ISR is an extension of proven technology and has been in use since the 1960's. With recent technical advances ISR can now offer a lower footprint and is likely to find further application in mineral recovery fields because it can coexist with other land use activities."
"The Moonta project, hosts oxide copper minerals and some secondary sulphide copper minerals in deep weathered troughs, indicating early stage potential for copper production via ISR methods."
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A map showing the location of the Moonta project may be accessed from the Thor website via the following link:
http://thormining.com/-/thor/lib/images/maps/Kapunda%20Moonta.jpg
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Further Information
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced 5 March 2019, subject to a 90 day due diligence period, was executed between Thor Mining, Environmental Copper Recovery Pty Ltd ("ECR") (holding earn-in rights to 75% of that part of the Kapunda Copper project amenable to ISR), and Environmental Metals Recovery Pty Ltd (holding earning rights, subject to due diligence, to 75% of Moonta copper project comprising the northern portion of exploration licence EL5984), for the merging of the respective interests, and the formation of Enviro Copper Limited, to hold and advance those interests.
Β Thor Mining PLC holds rights to a 60% interest in ECR for the consideration of A$1.8million in project funding (A$0.6 million funded to date). Under the MOU, Thor will relinquish its interest in ECR and acquire a 25%, pre-listing, interest in Enviro Copper for total funding of A$0.6million (funds already provided). Further Thor will hold the right to acquire a further 5% seed capital interest in Enviro Copper Limited for consideration of an additional A$0.4 million.
The Agreement is conditional upon satisfactory due diligence in respect of the Moonta project acquisition from Andromeda Metals Limited (ASX: ADN) by Environmental Metals Recovery Pty Ltd (refer ADN announcement to ASX dated 19 December 2018).
The Moonta project comprises steeply dipping zones of copper oxide mineralisation hosted within a deep weathering trough interpreted to extend over 11 kilometres strike length, and potentially beyond. The prospect is entirely under sedimentary cover with variable amounts of geological data from drilling in addition to data from geophysical surveys. Copper mineralisation within the trough is in the order of 50 to 75 metres width with drill intersections in excess of 350 metres deep. In areas where there is enough drill information, grades appear to be in the order of 0.18 - 0.23% copper.
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The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
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Enquiries:
Mick Billing | +61 (8) 7324 1935 | Thor Mining PLC | ExecutiveΒ Chairman |
Ray Ridge | +61 (8) 7324 1935 | Thor Mining PLC | CFO/Company Secretary |
Colin Aaronson/ Richard Tonthat/ Ben Roberts | +44 (0) 207 383 5100 Β | Grant Thornton UK LLP Β | Nominated Adviser |
Nick Emerson | +44 (0) 1483 413 500 | SI Capital Ltd | Joint Broker |
David Hignell / Rob ReesΒ | +44Β (0) 20 3470 0470 | SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP | Joint Broker |
Tim Blythe/ Camilla Horsfall | +44 (0) 207 138 3222 | Blytheweigh | Financial PR |
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CompetentΒ Person'sΒ Report
The information in this report that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Leon Faulkner,Β whoΒ holdsΒ aΒ BSc in geology and whoΒ isΒ aΒ Member of The Australasian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Faulkner is an employee of Environmental Metals Recovery Pty Ltd. He has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Leon Faulkner consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which itΒ appears.
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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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About Moonta
The Moonta copper project forms part of exploration licence EL5984 and is located on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia approximately 160 kilometres north north-east of Adelaide.
The licence area sits within the historical "copper triangle" of South Australia where high grade copper was mined and processed from the 1860's until the 1920's producing a reported 300,000 tonnes of copper.
The tenement is highly mineralised, and includes numerous historically mined deposits, as well as more recent copper discoveries, including the Bruce Zone at Alford West, and the Wombat deposit three kilometres to the west.
The Bruce and Wombat deposits are considered to have a number of critical attributes which may allow copper production via insitu recovery (ISR) techniques. Both deposits are characterised by deeply developed weathering troughs that extend hundreds of metres below surface. The rocks to both the north and south are fresh and impermeable while the trough material contains copper mineralisation that is oxidised, porous, and likely permeable, and is situated below both the water table and sea level. Both deposits remain open along strike, presenting opportunities to find further mineralisation in the trough extensions.
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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 isΒ alsoΒ acquiringΒ upΒ toΒ aΒ 60%Β interestΒ AustralianΒ copper developmentΒ companyΒ EnvironmentalΒ Copper RecoveryΒ SAΒ Pty Ltd,Β whichΒ inΒ turnΒ holdsΒ 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.
ThorΒ hasΒ anΒ interestΒ inΒ Hawkstone MiningΒ Limited,Β anΒ AustralianΒ ASX listed company withΒ aΒ 100%Β Interest inΒ a LithiumΒ projectΒ in Arizona, USA.
Finally,Β ThorΒ also holdsΒ a productionΒ royalty entitlementΒ fromΒ theΒ SpringΒ HillΒ GoldΒ projectβ΅Β 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΅Β ReferΒ AIMΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 26Β FebruaryΒ 2016Β andΒ ASXΒ announcementΒ ofΒ 29Β FebruaryΒ 2016
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