African Queen Mines Completes Airbourne Geophysical Survey and First Phase of Ground Exploration at Rongo Gold Field Project in Kenya′s Lake Victoria Greenstone Belt
AFRICAN QUEEN MINES LTD. (the 'Company?) is pleased to announce
that it has now completed a detailed airbourne geophysical survey
together with the first phase of ground exploration on its Rongo Gold
Field Project, which covers an area of approximately 112 sq. km in the
Kanango gold mining area of the Migori District of Nyanza Province in
Southwest Kenya near Lake Victoria. Together, the airbourne survey and
ground exploration program were designed to identify anomalous areas and
areas of structural interest in order to advance the Company′s
understanding of the geological structure of the license area and to
identify targets for follow-up exploration and a reconnaissance core
drilling program. They comprise Phase 1 of the Company′s exploration
program at Rongo. Work has been underway for the past 4 months on site.
The detailed airborne geophysical survey was carried out by Terrascan
Airborne GmbH & Co Kg of Germany on behalf of the Company and final data
products have been received. This survey was conducted on 100 m line
spacing with lines directed at 045o and a flying height of 70
m, and included both magnetic and radiometric studies. Approximately
2700 line km were flown. The survey was completed without incident and
the aeromagnetic and radiometric data has now been received after the
necessary quality control and assurance was carried out. Although
geological interpretation of this data has not yet been totally
finalised, a number of important features are already clearly visible.
These include (i) the position of a major northwest trending structure,
now termed the Kamwango Shear Zone, which underlies a number of known
artisanal workings, (ii) the contact of the granite with the
greenstones, which is regarded as an important control of the gold
mineralisation, and (iii) a number of smaller shears and faults related
to the much larger Kamwango Shear Zone.
The initial trenching program at the Kamwango target at Rongo has also
been completed, together with related reconnaissance mapping, sampling
and other ground exploration activities. Approximately 1200 m of
trenching was carried out as part of Phase 1, generally in close
proximity to existing artisanal workings in the area. These activities
have revealed extensive zones of silicification, epidotisation and
carbonatisation of the basaltic andesites (greenstones), while a very
large structure is clearly visible on the airborne magnetic data
crossing the Kamwango area. Quartz veining was encountered in the
trenching together with visible gold. The trenches were channel sampled
on a meter by meter basis with over 700 samples taken and forwarded to
ALS Laboratories in Mwanz, Tanzania under proper quality control
protocol. Additionally, reconnaissance mapping of the license area has
been finalised, with over 600 km of field traverse completed.
The Rongo Gold license is situated in south-western Kenya south of the
town of Kisumu. The exploration license (Special License No. 287) is
held by Abba Mining Company Limited ('Abba?) and is subject to an
Earn-In and JV agreement with the Company under which the Company serves
as manager/operator and may earn up to an 85% interest in the Project.
The area of the license covers approximately 112 km2 of
Archaean age metavolcanic lithologies comprising basalts, andesites and
rhyolites. A large tonalitic granite, the Kitere granite, intrudes these
rocks, all of which are included within the Nyanzian System. A number of
historical gold mines are known in the general area and include Migori,
one of the earliest gold mines in Kenya. The area is underexplored as
even though artisanal mining is presently occurring on various parts of
the license area, many parts are covered with a layer of clay and
outcrop is generally very limited.
The detailed geological mapping and trench sampling of the Kamwango
target has been carried out by Remote Exploration Services of Cape Town,
S.A. ('RES?) on behalf of the Company. Overall project management is
being provided to the Company by Senior Consulting Geologist Pete
Siegfried (M.Sc., MAusIMM), a qualified person, who has approved the
contents of this press release.
About African-Queen
The Company is an exploratory resource company with diversified mineral
properties in Southern and West Africa. It is exploring its properties
in Mozambique, Kenya and Ghana for gold and other metals and it is
exploring its properties in Botswana and Namibia for diamonds. The
Company′s licenses in Botswana and Namibia comprise approximately 9208
sq km of diamond prospects. In Mozambique it has approximately 230 sq km
of gold and other metals licenses under an agreement with another
company. In Kenya it has approximately 112 sq. km. of gold and other
minerals licenses under an agreement with another company. Its
operations in Botswana are carried out through its operating subsidiary,
PAM Botswana (Pty) Ltd.; its operations in Namibia are carried out
through its operating subsidiary PAM Minerals Namibia (Pty) Ltd.; its
operations in Mozambique are carried out through its subsidiary PAM
Mocambique Limitada and its operations in Ghana are carried out through
its subsidiary AQ Ghana Gold Limited. Its operations in Kenya are being
carried out through its operating subsidiary AQ Kenya Gold Limited. The
Company has its executive offices in Vancouver, Canada.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
AFRICAN QUEEN MINES, LTD.
'Irwin Olian?
Irwin Olian
Chairman & CEO
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of the
information contained herein. The statements made in this press release
may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of
risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the
Company′s expectations.
African Queen Mines Ltd.
Irwin Olian, President and CEO
Phone:
604-899-0100
Fax: 604-899-0200
tigertail@africanqueenmines.com
or
Carrie
Howes, Corporate Communications
Düsseldorf - +49 (0) 1722 1234 47
London
- +44 (0) 7780 602 788
carrie@africanqueenmines.com