Blackheath Completes Preliminary Work at Bejanca Tin/Tungsten Project
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov 20, 2013) - Blackheath Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BHR)(FRANKFURT:04B) ("Blackheath" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of preliminary exploration work at the Bejanca Tin/Tungsten Project in north central Portugal, where Blackheath holds the rights to a 100% interest.
There are at least seven known historic mine workings and showings surrounding the main historic Bejanca mine within the project area. The initial program focused on preliminary mapping and sampling of these surrounding historic mines and workings.
Assays of selected grab samples from these areas included the following:
- 2.12% WO3 at Vale da Fonte
- 1.68% WO3 at Mina de Masgalos
- 1.00% WO3 at Mina da Bodiosa
- 0.85% WO3 at Mina de Vale Gouro
The above samples were taken at a minimum distance of one kilometre from each other. In addition, a 3.4 kilogram sample of slag from the small waste dump adjacent to the historic ferro-tungsten smelter at Mina de Vale Gouro was selected and assayed 17.85% WO3. The quantity of this material is unknown. (These must be considered to be preliminary selected samples, and as such, may not be representative of average values for each showing.)
"We are encouraged by the results of this preliminary exploration program at Bejanca," said James Robertson, P. Eng., President & CEO of Blackheath Resources. "Not only was Bejanca a significant historic producer of tungsten, but approximately 2/3 of all total metal production came from tin. We look forward to investigating the project further."
During the preliminary work program at Bejanca, Blackheath reviewed a historic economic assessment and resource estimate authored by Edward D. Lynton, Consulting Mining Engineer of Glendale, California, in July of 1953 for the Companhia Portuguesa de Minas. Included in the report was a historic resource estimate of the alluvial and eluvial sand areas at Bejanca and nearby Espirito Santo which showed 6,700,000 tonnes with estimated recoverable values of 16,231 tonnes of cassiterite (tin mineral) concentrate containing some 12,660 tonnes of tin and 3,289 tonnes of wolframite (tungsten mineral) concentrate containing some 2,460 tonnes of tungsten trioxide (WO3). The price of tin is currently approximately $21,000 per tonne and the price of tungsten is approximately $39,000 per tonne of contained tungsten trioxide (WO3). (These resource estimates are not intended to represent current compliant resource, are historic in nature and have not been verified by the Company or its consultants but are believed to be relevant and informative although not compliant with current NI43-101 standards and should not be relied upon.)
The following table shows the historical resources as estimated by Lynton. These historical resources are partially covered by sands produced by the treatment of the mineralized greisen at the nearby Bejanca open pit mine, and have also been partially mined by artisanal miners in the past at a small scale but to an unknown extent.
Estimated Resource | Recovered Cassiterite | Recovered Wolframite | Cassiterite | Wolframite | |
Area | Tonnes | kg/ tonne | kg/ tonne | Tonnes | Tonnes |
Bejanca | 4,000,000 | 2.396 | 0.324 | 9,584 | 1,296 |
Espritu Santo | 2,700,000 | 2.962 | 0.738 | 6,647 | 1,993 |
Totals | 6,700,000 | 2.435 | 0.491 | 16,231 | 3,289 |
Source: Preliminary Report on the Couto Mineiro da Bejanca, Viseu, Portugal by Edward D. Lynton, Consulting Mining Engineer, Glendale, California dated July 7, 1953
Note: These resource estimates are historical in nature, are not intended to represent current resources, and have not been verified by the Company or its consultants but are believed to be relevant and informative although not compliant with current NI 43-101 standards and should not be relied upon. The estimates by Lynton (1953) were completed by standard methods by measuring the thickness of the alluvium in several pits and obtaining a measure weighted quantity of alluvium to determine the dry weight per tonne. To obtain the recoverable grade, seven large samples were taken over the area and the weighed dry samples run over a table. The density of the material was measured from volumes and weights of material from the pits corrected for moisture content and the concentrates recovered from each batch of samples were weighed after separating the cassiterite and wolframite magnetically. This is the only known historical resource estimate and does not fall into any current NI 43-101 resource estimate category.
Blackheath is planning an auger or back-hoe sampling programme in 2014 to re-assess the alluvial and eluvial material at Bejanca as well as further exploration of the hardrock and vein potential.
The Bejanca concession is located in north central Portugal, 12 km northwest of the city of Viseu and covers an area of 89 square kilometres. The mines at Bejanca operated from the early 1900's until 1985, when low tungsten prices resulted in their closure. Mining was from several shallow open pits and shallow underground workings. The tungsten and tin mineralisation occurs in stockworks in greisens and also in hydrothermal quartz veins in granites.
About Blackheath:
Blackheath Resources Inc. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, and is focused on tungsten exploration and development in Portugal. The Company holds the Covas, Arga and Borralha tungsten projects and the Bejanca tungsten/tin project. Exploration is currently underway at all four projects. Management of Blackheath has previous experience in tungsten mining operations in Portugal through Primary Metals Inc., the operator of the Panasqueira Tungsten Mine from 2003 to 2007.
Further information about the company's activities may be found at www.blackheathresources.com and under the company's profile at www.sedar.com
On behalf of the Board,
James Robertson, President & CEO
This news release was prepared by Company management, who take full responsibility for its content. Barry J. Price, M.Sc., P.Geo. is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has reviewed the technical disclosure in this release. Tungsten analyses were performed by ALS Chemex in Vancouver, Canada using standard ME-XRF 05 and XRF 10 assay techniques.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contact
Blackheath Resources Inc.
Alexander Langer
604 684-3800
info@blackheathresources.com
www.blackheathresources.com