African Metals Corporation: Positive Test Pit and RAB Drilling Results From Kalande Project, Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/08/10 -- African Metals Corporation ('AFR') (TSX VENTURE: AFR)(FRANKFURT: OWW) is pleased to provide an exploration update on its on exploration activities at its Kalande project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Summary
Scout (RAB) drilling was conducted on five test pits over the main copper-in-soil anomaly within Exploration Licence PR5144. Analytical results of samples collected from the five holes indicate that two of the holes have intersected significant levels of mineralization given the leached nature of the ground intersected by drilling:
7m at 0.13% zinc, 0.02% copper (from 19m - KRB001; in white and brown clays)
5m at 0.13% copper, 0.04% cobalt (from 0m - KRB002; in laterite)
12m at 0.13% zinc, 0.03% copper (from 11m - KRB002; in white and brown clays)
Geological interpretations suggest that the original protolith of the laterite and white clays is a dolomitic unit. Niton portable XRF analysis of the samples collected during the 36 hole test pitting program have highlighted a further 9 test pits that require drill testing.
Kalande RAB Drilling
Basanga Consulting Sprl (Bascons) completed in October a test pitting program at the company's Kalande Project, located approximately 60 kilometers NE of Lubumbashi. A total of 36 test pits were excavated during the program, with the aim of testing beneath the laterite for mineralization (Figure 1). Only nine of the 36 pits penetrated to beneath the laterite layer, exposing clay and strongly leached siltstone fragments. Malachite mineralization was not observed in the pits, though dark minerals representing manganese oxides with possible minor heterogenite (cobalt) were observed in the central copper-in-soil anomaly in test pits TP12, TP13, TP14 and TP18.
In response to the more extensive laterite development encountered at the project, Rubaco Sprl, drilling contractors, completed 127m of open-hole scout Rotary Air Blast (RAB) drilling from five vertical holes. The RAB program was designed to test the stratigraphy beneath the laterite for mineralization, down to a depth of 50m or the water table, whichever came first. Test pits TP12, TP13, TP15, TP17 and TP18 were selected for drilling testing. The RAB drilling collar information is summarized in Table 1.
All RAB holes successfully drilled through the laterite layer, and terminated at the water table where sample return was restricted. Geological interpretation of the RAB chips suggests that three layers were intersected by the drilling. The upper laterite layer; a middle leached layer with mostly white clay and low geochemical assay results; and a third layer above the water table with a mixture of white and pale brown clay with minor leached rock fragments of pale grey and pale purple to white siltstone. The clays in the holes reacted with hydrochloric acid, suggesting a carbonate bearing source rock for the clays and laterite not dissimilar to the Roan Group Mine Series Dolomites.
Drill samples were collected from all RAB holes at one meter intervals, and spear sampled to produce approximately one kilogram sub-samples for analysis. A total of 127 samples were processed and analyzed after a 4 acid digest by ICP scheme ME-ICP6, at ALS Laboratories in Johannesburg, South Africa. The results of the analysis are summarized in Table 2.
The results highlight a correlation between anomalous cobalt, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, iron, and manganese values with the laterite, indicating a strong degree of metal scavenging in the weathered environment. Up to 2 g/t silver has also been noted in the laterite layer of KRB002.
Elevated values of calcium, potassium and magnesium in the samples as the holes approached the water table support an interpretation of a dolomitic unit as the likely protolith to the white clay.
The metal association of zinc, copper, minor molybdenum and silver in anomalous values warrants further investigation. Kipushi, a copper-zinc mine with molybdenum has a similar metal association where mixed mineralization of copper, lead and zinc is mainly hosted by the Upper Kakontwe dolomite.
Kalande Test Pitting
Bascons completed a test pitting and sampling program at the project in October 2010. Vertical channel samples collected from all test pits at one meter intervals were processed and analyzed by Niton portable XRF. The copper results of the Niton analysis are summarized in Table 3.
Anomalous copper values were returned from 14 of the 36 test pits (Figure 1). After review, the Niton analytical copper results of the pit samples were found to be comparable in grade to the soil sample assay results produced by ICP analysis at ALS Laboratories in Johannesburg.
Five of the 14 pits that returned anomalous values were drill tested by shallow RAB drilling (yellow fields; Table 1; Figure 2). Access issues prevented the drill testing of TP14 and TP16.
Positive assay results from the RAB program indicate that the remaining 9 test pits that returned anomalous results warrant further investigation. AFR plans to conduct follow up drilling operations in 2011 after the end of the current wet season (March, April).
AFR will be keeping the market updated on progress as and when results become available during this phase of the development of the company.
Nigel Ferguson, AusIMM, President and CEO of the Company and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has verified data disclosed in this release.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AFRICAN METALS CORPORATION
Nigel Ferguson, President & CEO
This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements which relate to future events. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our industry, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.
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Hole Test Hole EOH
Project Licence ID Pit Dip East North RL Type (m)
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Kalande 5144 KRB001 TP15 -90 601500 8731239 1161 RAB 26
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Kalande 5144 KRB002 TP13 -90 601193 8731451 1169 RAB 23
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Kalande 5144 KRB003 TP12 -90 601046 8731674 1166 RAB 22
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Kalande 5144 KRB004 TP17 -90 601001 8731245 1159 RAB 31
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Kalande 5144 KRB005 TP18 -90 600999 8731049 1164 RAB 25
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Table 1: RAB Drill Hole Collar Information
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Thi-
Hole Test From ck Geol- Ag Co Cu Pb Zn Mo Ca Fe K Mg Mn
ID Pit (m) (m) ogy ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm % % % % %
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KRB001 0 8 Soil, -0.5 152 260 144 171 5 0.0 14.2 0.2 0.5 0.5
clay,
later-
ite
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8 11 White -0.5 25 80 97 533 1 0.2 5.7 1.3 8.5 0.1
clay,
TP15 mnr
rock
frags
-----------------------------------------------------------------
19 7 Sti- -0.5 15 153 289 1285 1 0.4 3.7 2.2 8.9 0.1
cky,
wet
white &
pale
brown
clay
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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KRB002 0 5 Later- 2 374 1279 346 433 9 0.0 13.8 0.6 1.0 1.7
ite,
soil,
clay
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5 6 Clay, -0.5 89 591 40 488 2 0.0 4.2 4.5 5.0 0.3
soil,
TP13 mnr
rock
frags
-----------------------------------------------------------------
11 12 Clay, -0.5 29 281 216 1335 1 0.1 3.0 5.0 6.7 0.2
soil,
mnr
rock
frags
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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KRB003 0 5 Later- -0.5 157 478 437 151 7 0.0 12.9 0.2 0.3 1.1
ite,
soil
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5 4 Clay, -0.5 33 102 56 94 1 0.0 6.9 0.5 0.5 0.1
soil,
TP12 mnr
rock
frags
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 13 White -0.5 48 197 25 270 2 0.0 4.3 4.2 4.0 0.2
& brown
clay,
mnr
rock
frags
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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KRB004 0 5 Later- -0.5 184 602 634 273 5 0.0 16.6 0.2 0.9 0.5
ite
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5 4 White -0.5 6 100 260 379 -1 0.0 1.1 0.4 11.4 0.0
clay
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9 11 White -0.5 6 205 964 705 -1 0.0 1.6 2.4 11.1 0.1
TP17 clay,
mnr
rock
frags
-----------------------------------------------------------------
20 11 White -0.5 5 90 335 261 1 0.0 0.9 0.5 6.6 0.1
and
pale
brown
clay
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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KRB005 0 6 Later- -0.5 151 332 167 223 7 0.0 17.6 0.2 0.3 0.4
ite
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6 7 Pale -0.5 13 67 10 116 1 0.1 2.9 0.9 0.4 0.0
red and
cream
TP18 soil,
clay
-----------------------------------------------------------------
13 12 White -0.5 13 44 13 212 1 0.3 2.8 0.9 8.0 0.1
& pale
brown
clay,
mnr
rock
frags
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Table 2: RAB Summary Assay Results (ALS).
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TEST PIT - NITON RESULTS (Cu - ppm)
SAMPLE ------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPTH TP01 TP02 TP03 TP04 TP05 TP06 TP07 TP08 TP09
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0-1 m 75 47 51 42 89 118 51 44 52
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1-2 m 70 81 56 37 114 106 72 58 less
than
LOD
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2-3 m 92 76 75 47 163 96 75 41 less
than
LOD
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3-4 m 100 78 83 39 141 118 71 44 82
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TEST PIT - NITON RESULTS (Cu - ppm)
SAMPLE ------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPTH TP10 TP11 TP12 TP13 TP14 TP15 TP16 TP17 TP18
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0-1 m 53 43 55 174 109 139 191 282 121
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1-2 m 90 35 118 - 129 120 172 286 -
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2-3 m 93 45 122 215 250 144 197 266 173
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3-4 m 69 81 78 - 255 154 28 193 27
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TEST PIT - NITON RESULTS (Cu - ppm)
SAMPLE ------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPTH TP19 TP20 TP21 TP22 TP23 TP24 TP25 TP26 TP27
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0-1 m less 55 46 45 54 71 128 46 33
than
LOD
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1-2 m less 118 37 - - 68 144 52 49
than
LOD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-3 m 36 122 37 - 61 51 90 44 47
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3-4 m 28 78 58 less 59 58 68 64 56
than
LOD
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TEST PIT - NITON RESULTS (Cu - ppm)
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SAMPLE 5145_ 5145_ 5146_
DEPTH TP28 TP29 TP30 TP31 TP32 TP33 TP01 TP02 TP03
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0-1 m 45 60 36 52 58 70 less 43 44
than
LOD
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1-2 m 25 74 less 64 111 74 37 52 42
than
LOD
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2-3 m 39 75 - 65 76 112 - 32 51
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3-4 m 32 64 - 68 150 116 - 48 101
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Table 3: Test Pit Assay Results (Orange Pit Id = holes that penetrated
beneath laterite; Red text = pits with anomalous sample results; Yellow
fields = pits tested by RAB drilling).
To view Figures 1 and 2 please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/AFR1208.pdf
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 new release.
Contacts:
African Metals Corporation
Sheryl A. Jones
CFO
1-604-507-2181
1-604-507-2187 (FAX)
info@africanmetals.com
www.africanmetals.com