TIDMPREM
RNS Number : 1646N
Premier African Minerals Limited
21 October 2016
Premier African Minerals Limited / Ticker: PREM / Index: AIM /
Sector: Mining
For immediate release
21 October 2016
Premier African Minerals Limited
("Premier" or the "Company")
Stellar Tantalum Grades in Early Results from the Zulu Lithium
and Tantalum Project
Update - Current Diamond Drilling Programme
Premier African Minerals Limited (AIM: PREM), the London quoted
mining exploration and production company, is pleased to report
that significant tantalum grades have been recorded from the
current 2,500 meter drilling programme at the company's Zulu
Lithium and Tantalum Project ("Zulu") in Zimbabwe.
Highlights
-- Significantly elevated tantalum (Ta(2) O(5) ) grades
encountered in all holes sampled to date, with grades reported as
high as 706 ppm Ta(2) O(5) in borehole ZDD 14.
-- Massive lithium enriched mineralised intersections in excess of 40 meters in hole ZDD-05.
George Roach, Premier's CEO, commented:
"These interim results are extremely encouraging and support the
company's view that Zulu has the potential to be one of the best
hard rock lithium projects today. The tantalum grades are even more
significant when compared to the bell-weather Pilgangoora
Lithium-Tantalum deposit, which is currently being developed in
Australia by Pilbara Minerals Ltd and has reported generally lower
tantalum grades than the current Zulu results received to date in
their latest reserve statement in August 2016. Pilbara Minerals
report that their Proved and Probable Ore Reserve are 69.8 million
tonnes grading 1.26% Li2O (Spodumene) and 132ppm Ta(2) O(5) . We
eagerly await the lithium assays from the South African labs."
Elevated Tantalum Results
The Niobium (Nb(2) O(5) ) and Tantalum (Ta(2) O(5) ) results
received to date are set out in the table below. These results were
assayed for niobium and tantalum at the Company's laboratory using
a calibrated desk mounted XRF. The fact that Ta(2) O(5) grade is
significantly higher than Nb(2) O(5) indicates that the Zulu
pegmatites are highly differentiated pegmatites. Highly
differentiated pegmatites have the best potential for high grade
Lithium, Tantalum and Cesium mineralisation.
DDH From To Length Nb(2) Ta(2)
(Meters) O(5) O(5)
*)
Number (Metres) (Metres) (ppm) (ppm)
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 11.00 11.34 0.34 77 290
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 11.59 14.15 2.56 74 216
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 14.15 19.05 4.90 62 178
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 19.05 20.08 1.03 164 457
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 20.08 20.75 0.67 230 706
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 35.42 35.93 0.51 98 237
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 36.09 36.57 0.48 91 216
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 37.00 37.43 0.43 75 301
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 44.17 46.66 2.49 80 125
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-14 51.66 52.34 0.68 72 147
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
Total Interval 14.09
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZULU-003 14.60 19.00 4.40 124 133
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZULU-003 28.40 31.60 3.20 112 158
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZULU-003 34.20 34.60 0.40 72 211
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
Total Interval 8.00
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 18.45 19.55 1.10 60 193
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 20.25 21.33 1.08 104 244
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 25.39 25.79 0.40 107 168
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 27.73 30.64 2.91 129 150
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 30.74 35.95 5.21 114 216
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 40.80 45.50 4.70 90 156
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 46.22 48.80 2.58 88 132
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 51.79 54.22 2.43 107 145
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 54.82 55.72 0.90 43 177
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 56.48 58.78 2.30 74 153
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
ZDD-16 107.95 108.46 0.51 61 178
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
Total Interval 24.12
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------- -------
*) drilled widths
Massive Mineralised Intersections
Bore hole ZDD-05 is the latest bore hole to intersect massive
intersections of visible spodumene/petalite mineralisation. The
table below sets out the Intersections from surface.
DDH From To Length
Number (Metres) (Metres) (Meters)*)
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
ZDD-05 63.16 69.08 5.92
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
ZDD-05 79.60 80.66 1.60
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
ZDD-05 104.04 104.98 0.94
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
ZDD-05 107.10 115.89 8.79
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
ZDD-05 117.02 121.00 3.98
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
ZDD-05 124.00 142.38 18.38**)
--------- ---------- ---------- ------------
*) drilled widths
**) and still in mineralisation
From surface showings, our technical team anticipated one
massive 5-6m intersection as well as a number of narrow
intersections in the footwall. The hole was intended to finish at a
depth of 125m but drilling will continue until it passes through
the ore body. These intersections as well as the fact that
mineralisation remains open at depth underlines Zulu's
potential.
Eucryptite identified in ZDD 16.
Eucryptite is a lithium bearing aluminium silicate mineral with
formula LiAlSiO(4.) Its typical occurrence is in lithium-rich
pegmatites in association with albite, spodumene, petalite,
amblygonite, lepidolite and quartz.. The mineral contains some
11.8% Lithium Oxide (Li(2) O), (or 29% Lithium Carbonate Equivalent
(LCE)) compared to 8% (19,78% LCE) in spodumene and 4.5% (11,13%
LCE) in petalite. It is a secondary mineral derived from spodumene
and is likely to occur coincidental to fault zones that are common
in the Zulu pegmatites.
About Tantalum
The primary source of tantalum is from minerals such as
tantalite, columbite, wodginite and microlite contained in
pegmatite ore bodies and/or alluvial and eluvial sediments. It is
predominantly used is in capacitors for consumer electronics,
particularly where long battery life and high performance is
required such as smart phones, tablets and laptops. Tantalite
concentrate is currently trading in excess of US$120 per kg.
Sampling and Assaying Procedures
The drill cores were recorded and logged. The cores were then
sawn and one quarter of the core was submitted to the Company's own
laboratory for sample preparation. After crushing the entire sample
to -6mm, approximately 200 g were split off and pulverised. A 50 g
split off sample is submitted to SGS South Africa for a
multi-element scan using sodium peroxide fusion followed by
ICP-OES/ICP-MS. 12% of the submitted samples are check samples
including blanks and duplicates. A further split off of every
sample was assayed for niobium and tantalum at the Company's
laboratory using a calibrated desk mounted XRF. These results were
corrected by using samples with well-defined niobium and tantalum
grades as standards.
Qualified Person:
Wolfgang Hampel, Exploration Manager of Premier African Minerals
Limited has reviewed and approved this release to the extent that
reference is made to the Zulu tenements. Mr Hampel has 25 years'
experience in the African, American, European and Asian exploration
and mining industry and holds a Diploma in Economic Geology
(Dipl.-Geol.) from the Technical University of Munich. He is a
registered European Geologist (EurGeol), ndeg 1261, with the
European Federation of Geologists.
Forward Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this announcement, are, or may be deemed
to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are
identi ed by their use of terms and phrases such as "believe",
"could", "should" "envisage", "estimate", "intend", "may", "plan",
"will" or the negative of those, variations or comparable
expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward
looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on
the Directors' current expectations and assumptions regarding the
Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, future
capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and
sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business
prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements re ect
the Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on
information currently available to the Directors. A number of
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the
results discussed in the forward looking statements including risks
associated with vulnerability to general economic and business
conditions, competition, environmental and other regulatory
changes, actions by governmental authorities, the availability of
capital markets, reliance on key personnel, uninsured and
underinsured losses and other factors, many of which are beyond the
control of the Company. Although any forward looking statements
contained in this announcement are based upon what the Directors
believe to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure
investors that actual results will be consistent with such forward
looking statements.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.
Enquiries:
Premier African Minerals Tel: +44 (0)7734
Fuad Sillem Limited 922074
---------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
Michael Cornish Beaumont Cornish Tel: +44 (0) 207
/ Roland Cornish Limited 628 3396
(Nominated Adviser)
---------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
Jerry Keen/Edward Shore Capital Stockbrokers Tel: +44 (0) 207
Mansfield Limited 408 4090
---------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
Charles Goodwin/Aidan
Stanley /Dominic Yellow Jersey PR Tel: +44 (0) 7584
Barretto Limited 085 670
---------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
Notes to Editors:
Premier African Minerals Limited (AIM: PREM) is a
multi-commodity mining and natural resource development company
focused in Southern and Western Africa with production started at
its flagship RHA project in Zimbabwe.
The Company has a diverse portfolio of projects, which includes
tungsten, rare earth elements, gold, lithium and tantalum in
Zimbabwe and Benin, encompassing brownfield projects with near-term
production potential to grass-roots exploration. The Company also
holds 2 million shares in Circum Minerals Limited ("Circum"), the
owners of the Danakil Potash Project in Ethiopia, which has the
potential to be a world class asset. At present those shares are
valued at US$4 million based on the latest price at which Circum
has accepted subscriptions.
For more information on Pilbara Minerals Ltd, please visit:
http://www.pilbaraminerals.com.au/pilgangoora-lithium-tantalum-project
Glossary of Technical Terms
"eluvial" is said of an incoherent mineral deposit resulting
from the decomposition or disintegration of rock in place. The
material may have slumped or washed downslope for a short distance
but has not been transported by a stream.
"lepidolite" is the mineral name for lithium bearing mica KLi2Al
(Si4O10), (F,OH)2 an important ore of lithium
"Li2O" means Lithium oxide
"Nb2O5" is diniobium pentoxide
"pegmatite" is an exceptionally coarse-grained igneous rock,
with interlocking crystals, usually found as irregular dikes,
lenses, or veins, esp. at the margins of granitic intrusions
"petalite" is the mineral name for lithium aluminium silicate
LiAl(Si4O10) an important ore of lithium
"spodumene" is the mineral name for lithium aluminium silicate
LiAlSi2O6 an important ore of lithium.
"Ta2O5" is ditantalum pentoxide
"tantalite" a mostly dark grey to black mineral, iron bearing
varieties are called ferrotantalite or tantalite-Fe ; a major
tantalum ore.
ENDS
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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