2% Copper Core Potential Highlighted by Drilling at Luisha South Project
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Trading Symbols TSXV: AFR, Frankfurt: OWW
African Metals Corporation ('AFR') (TSXV: AFR) is pleased to report that
the Company has received final assay results from 4 drill holes completed on
its Luisha South Project in the Katanga Provence of Democratic Republic of
Congo. The results confirm the continuity and grade of mineralization
identified by the June 2010 Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program, and
with LUDH025 extends the mineralization beyond current resource block model
limits.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 48.50 meters at 1.64% Cu, 0.26% Co from 33.3m (LUDH025)
- 42.95 meters at 1.93% Cu, 0.60% Co from 2.3m (LUDH026)
Including 6.15 meters at 3.23% Cu, 0.98% Co from 2.6m.
- 22.35 meters at 2.28% Cu, 0.51% Co from 0m (LUDH032)
Including 4.45 meters at 5.62% Cu, 1.00% Co from 7.2m.
Luisha South Project Diamond Drilling
Rubaco Sprl and DrillTek Sprl, drilling contractors, combined to complete
a total of 1538.73 metres of diamond core drilling from 22 holes at the
Luisha South Project in January 2011. The holes targeted down dip and
southeast extensions of mineralization highlighted by the March 2010
geochemical sampling program and June 2010 RC drilling program.
The RC drill program enabled a JORC and NI43-101F compliant resource
estimation of the Luisha pit mineralization, resulting in an Inferred
Resource of 75,400 tonnes of copper and 23,200 tonnes of cobalt metal. Some
of the holes from the RC program however either terminated within, or short
of, copper and cobalt mineralized horizons, producing interpolation gaps in
the resource block model. The diamond holes in the recently completed program
were designed to infill the gaps and further define the extents of the
mineralization.
Figure 1: Luisha diamond drill holes (blue); 10 as holes cored from
surface and 12 as diamond tails to RC pre-collars; holes with reported assay
results are highlighted red (4).
http://files.newswire.ca/138/map1African.doc
The reported analytical results were from four holes cored in the base of
the Luisha open pit. Drill hole LUDH025 successfully tested the down dip
extent of the northeast pit wall mineralization, intersecting consistent
copper and cobalt mineralization from areas that are outside of the current
resource block model; of significance are approximately ten intersections
returning >2% copper (Figure 2).
Drill holes LUDH026, LUDH027 and LUDH032 successfully tested the near
surface continuity of the northeast pit wall mineralization in locations
where the June 2010 RC drilling was hindered by topographic constraints and
holes were unable to be drilled. The analytical results support a potential
upgrade to the resource model in this part of the pit.
Mineralization styles observed in the core included both syngenetic
(bedding parallel and disseminated fine pyrite lenses and blebs replaced by
chalcopyrite and carrolite) and epigenetic (fracture and vein hosted
sulphides). Supergene minerals malachite and heterogenite are observed
overprinting and replacing the earlier sulphide phases.
Figure 2: Luisha diamond drill hole LUDH025, successfully tested
interpolation gap in the resource block model and confirmed down dip
continuation of mineralization.
http://files.newswire.ca/138/map2African.doc
Anomalous intercepts based on 0.5% Cu cut off are summarised in Table 1.
Hole Number East North RL Total
Depth
(metres)
LUDH025 501734 8764245 1232 100.35
LUDH026 501895 8764157 1230 64.25
LUDH027 501871 8764183 1230 52.00
LUDH032 501849 8764201 1230 48.20
(table continues)
Hole Number Azim Dip From Width Cu Co
(degrees) (degrees) (metres) (metres) % %
LUDH025 360 -90 9.65 9.65 2.53 0.42
inc. 16.40 2.90 4.28 0.51
22.05 9.95 0.99 0.61
33.30 48.50 1.64 0.26
inc. 75.20 4.80 3.37 0.06
LUDH026 36 -60 2.30 42.95 1.93 0.60
inc. 2.60 6.15 3.23 0.98
inc. 13.40 2.70 4.48 0.26
LUDH027 36 -60 0 28.60 1.38 0.54
LUDH032 36 -60 0 22.35 2.28 0.51
inc. 7.20 4.45 5.62 1.00
Table 1: Anomalous length weighted drill intercepts, Luisha South
Project.
Notes: Grid coordinates are WGS84, Zone 35 South; Azimuth is magnetic;
intersections are down hole widths, not true widths; reported assays are
length weighted average intercepts; intercepts are based on 0.5% copper cut
off, with no top cut; reported intercepts include a maximum of two 'internal
waste' sample intervals of <0.5% copper; inc. = including.
All four holes intersected broad intervals of copper and cobalt sulphide
minerals, mainly chalcopyrite and carrolite, with subordinate malachite and
heterogenite (non-sulphide copper and cobalt minerals respectively). The
mineralization is hosted within the Mines Series R2 Stratigraphy (SD,
'BOMZ-RSF-RSC' and 'Grey RAT'), stratigraphic horizons known to host
significant mineralization at other mine sites including Tiger Resources'
Kipoi mine located approximately 7.5km along strike to the southeast.
AFR will continue to report assay results from the remaining drill core
samples as they become available.
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'
Nigel Ferguson, President & CEO
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.
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.
Drill Hole Sampling and Assaying Procedure
The Company undertakes drilling and sampling to strict guidelines. The
core was collected from the drill rig at the end of each shift, processed for
RQD geotechnical logging, and digitally photographed. The drill core was
predominantly NQ in size, with a small percentage of HQ core in the upper 20m
of holes cored from surface in clay soils. Core was 'fitted' back together
whenever possible, and geologically logged on site by the supervising project
geologist. The project geologist ensured a representative cutting line was
marked along the length of the on the core and samples highlighted at
appropriate intervals. Once the sample intervals and cut lines had been
clearly marked out, the start and end of each sample interval was cut
orthogonal to the long axis of the core to clearly define the end of each
sample interval. The core was then cut in half lengthways along the
representative cut line. A stand mounted, diamond impregnated electric saw
blade purchased from Johannesburg, South Africa, was used for all core
cutting purposes. The left half of the core was returned to the metal core
trays and retained for future reference; the right half was placed into
appropriately marked and labeled plastic sample bags. Quality Control
protocols enforced by the company require the collection and insertion of
Certified Reference Materials (CRM's) at the rate of one CRM 'blank', one
field blank (sand), one CRM 'copper standard' and one field duplicate sample
within each sample stream of 20 samples.
Samples were delivered under security by company vehicle to SGS Minerals
Laboratory in Kalulushi, Zambia for sample preparation and analysis. The
laboratory maintains quality assurance protocols in line with ISO 17025, and
maintains quality accreditation for commercial laboratories in line with ISO
9002. The laboratory also participates in international round robin programs
organized by LQSI of the USA.
The sample preparation scheme was PRP90; drying for 4 hours at 105
degrees Celsius; crushing to 2mm with 90% passing 2mm; and pulverizing of a
1000 gram sub-split of the 2mm chips to 85% passing 75 microns. Digest was
scheme DIG42S; 0.4 grams of pulverized material digested in a 4 acid mixture
on a hot plate at 200 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes, with subsequent
dilution back to 100ml before AAS analysis by method 'AAS42S'. Results for
copper and cobalt were reported in percentages. Lower detection limits were
0.01% for both elements.
About African Metals Corporation.
African Metals Corporation (TSXV: AFR) is a Canadian listed company
focused on the discovery and development of Copper and Cobalt deposits in the
highly mineralized Katanga Copper Belt of the world renowned Africa Copper
Belt in the Democratic Republic of Congo ('DRC').
AFR purchased all the assets of Chevalier Resources Inc. in March 2010
including a 57% interest in the Luisha South Project contained within licence
PEPM 4881, Katanga Provence, Democratic Republic of the Congo ('DRC') through
subsidiaries incorporated in the DRC. In July AFR negotiated a further 18%
interest in the project with the option to increase the equity interest to
90% based on results. The project is located 75 kilometres northwest of
Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga Province and consists of approximately
16.2kmsquared.
The Luisha South Project includes a small historical open pit mine and
associated stockpile and is underlain by Roan Group sediments which host
major Cu-Co deposits in the DRC. The Luishia South orebody was explored
between 1923 and 1928 and an oxide deposit with an estimated pre-production
tonnage of approximately 350,000 tonnes at 8.6% Cu was delineated. The Luisha
Project also covers some three kilometers of the Roan Group strike length
which is favorable for Cu-Co mineralization. AFR is currently conducting
metallurgical tests on stockpile Reverse Circulation drill samples to
determine characteristics and heavy media separation qualities, with the aim
of commencing production of an oxide concentrate by the end of Q2 2011.
Additionally, African Metals has an option to earn an 80% interest in 8
properties held by local company, KMH, covering some 682 square kilometers
within the Katanga Provence Central African Copper Belt in the southeastern
part of the DRC. AFR has delineated several sizeable soil anomalies within
the licenses and is progressing exploration to test depth continuations of
this mineralization.
For further information:
Jag Sandhu, Corporate Development, 1-604-306-1950 (AFR)
African Metals Corporation
Jag Sandhu, Corporate Development, 1-604-306-1950 (AFR)