Hana Mining Ltd.: Infill Drilling Continues to Encounter Thick Intersections of Copper-Silver Mineralization Along the North Limb of the Banana Zone
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 06/16/11 -- Hana Mining Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: HMG)(FRANKFURT: 4LH) ('Hana' or the 'Company') is pleased to announce its most recent drilling results from the completion of 10 infill diamond drill holes in the Banana Zone at its Ghanzi sediment hosted Copper-Silver Project in Botswana.
Infill drilling was carried out on the North Limb area (between sections 65835 to 66525 at North Limb North; Figures 1 and 2) to convert a substantial amount of the NI 43-101 compliant resources within this area into the Indicated category from the Inferred category.
These results are from new holes and are in addition to those used in the most recent NI 43-101 compliant Inferred mineral resource calculation (see Table 1 at the end of this press release for the results from all 10 drill holes). The mineralization remains open at depth.
Highlights of recent drilling results:
-- The latest results confirm the continuity of copper-silver
mineralization at the North Limb North area of the Banana Zone.
-- Intercepts of
-- 2.15% Cu and 40.0 g/t Ag over 3.8 metres within a wider mineralized
interval of 0.55% Cu and 9.0 g/t Ag over 31.0 metres in hole HA-291-
D,
-- 2.01% Cu and 19.0 g/t Ag over 2.8 metres within a wider mineralized
interval of 0.54% Cu and 4.0 g/t Ag over 28.9 metres in hole HA-289-
D,
-- 1.02% Cu and 22.0 g/t Ag over 12.2 metres within a wider mineralized
interval of 0.69% Cu and 15.0 g/t Ag over 21.2 metres in hole HA-
287-D, and
-- 0.91% Cu and 18.0 g/t Ag over 4.0 metres within a wider mineralized
interval of 0.45% Cu and 6.0 g/t Ag over 24.7 metres in hole HA-294-
D.
Discussion of Results:
The infill drilling program at the North Limb North continues to confirm that copper-silver mineralization is continuous and has consistent widths and, again, in some sections it bifurcates into two high-grade zones within a very wide, lower grade, mineralized envelope (Figure 3). This drilling will allow for the conversion of more mineral resources from the Inferred category into the Indicated category.
To view Figures 1, 2 and 3 accompanying this press release, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/hmg616.pdf
Development Update
The following engineering and consultation activities are ongoing:
-- The Terms of Reference ('ToR') meeting was held recently with the
Botswana Department of Environmental Affairs. The ToR will dictate the
parameters of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
-- Work is also continuing on the metallurgy of the oxide material at the
Banana Zone.
-- Regional soil geochemistry is ongoing at the Baby Banana and Peeled
Banana Zones.
Hana Mining's CEO and Chairman, Marek Kreczmer, commented as follows:
'We continued to be pleased with the drilling results from the North Limb North Area. The latest drilling results continue to confirm that this area hosts wide intervals of copper-silver mineralization which envelope narrower zones of high-grade copper mineralization.'
Qualified Person and Quality Assurance/Quality Control
The drilling program and results are reviewed and approved by Fred Stahlbush., VP Engineering for Hana. He is the qualified person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information in this press release.
Drill core is logged and photographed. Mineralized intervals are split in half by sawing and sampled at site. The remainder of the core is kept as a permanent record. Samples are placed into labelled bags, closed and packed into sealed bags that are shipped to ALS Chemex Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hana has implemented an industry-standard QA/QC program that includes the blind insertion of certified standards, duplicates and blanks into the sample stream.
About Hana Mining's Ghanzi Copper-Silver Project in Botswana:
The Ghanzi Project is located in the center of the Kalahari Copper Belt in northwestern Botswana. The Ghanzi property covers 2,149 square kilometres, and contains sediment-hosted copper-silver deposits with a demonstrated cumulative tested strike length of 70 kilometres. This favorable geology extends over an estimated strike length of 600 kilometres. Hana Mining released results of its most recent NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate for the Ghanzi Project on December 20, 2010, announcing an Indicated mineral resource of 762 million pounds of copper and 16 million ounces of silver from 37.4 million tonnes at a grade of 0.93% copper and 13.4 g/t silver. All of the Indicated resources are from the Banana Zone. There are also Inferred resources of 5.6 billion pounds of copper and 85.4 million ounces of silver from 423.9 million tonnes. This Inferred mineral resource estimate consists of 225.4 million tonnes grading 0.64% Cu and 8.1 g/t Ag in the Banana Zone, 20.7 million tonnes grading 1.23% Cu and 8.7 g/t Ag in Zone 5, 16.7 million tonnes grading 0.86% Cu and 4.0 g/t Ag in Zone 6, and 161.1 million tonnes grading 0.45% Cu and 3.6 g/t Ag in the Chalcocite Zone; all at a cut-off grade of 0.30% Cu.
The Banana Zone exhibits certain areas of higher grade Cu and Ag mineralization, particularly between sections 49700 to 52000 on the North limb and sections 63000 to 71000 on both the North and South limbs, which represent an opportunity to locate starter pits and mine initial tonnages at higher than average grades. These higher grade pockets tend to be well within open pit depth parameters and represent opportunities to improve early cash flow and overall returns in development.
The project will benefit from proposed rail and power infrastructure expansions, along with proximity to local population centers and workforce. A feasibility study is currently underway (funded by the World Bank and the governments of Botswana and Namibia) to support completion of a rail line link that would connect Botswana with the Namibian port of Walvis Bay, on the Atlantic coast. The closest existing railhead to port is at Gobabis, in Namibia, approximately 550 km from our property. Construction has begun on the 600MW expansion of the government-owned Moropule Power Plant, having secured US$825 million project funding in May 2009. The Ghanzi Copper- Silver Project is currently accessed by the paved Trans-Kalahari highway, which passes within 15 km of the property.
The Ghanzi property is one of Africa's premier future copper-silver resources.
Table 1: Drill Results from North Limb, Banana Zone, Sections 65835 to 66525 - Interval indicates down hole interval.
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Mineralized From To Interval Cu Ag
Hole # Section Zone (m) (m) (m) (%) (g/t)
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North Limb North Diamond Drilling
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-284-D NL65835 North Limb North 92.34 106.50 14.16 0.72 15.0
includes 92.34 94.62 2.28 1.20 9.0
includes 92.34 93.55 1.21 1.46 6.0
includes 103.30 105.10 1.80 2.66 65.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-287-D NL65920 North Limb North 72.78 94.00 21.22 0.69 15.0
includes 72.78 85.00 12.22 1.02 22.0
includes 74.01 75.83 1.82 1.26 35.0
includes 83.00 85.00 2.00 2.87 74.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-289-D NL66075 North Limb North 29.15 58.00 28.85 0.54 4.0
includes 30.00 33.05 3.05 1.30 4.0
includes 30.00 32.30 2.30 1.40 4.0
includes 45.85 48.60 2.75 2.01 19.0
includes 45.85 47.70 1.85 2.79 27.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-290-D NL65835 North Limb North 137.00 159.85 22.85 0.43 13.0
includes 141.10 146.25 5.15 0.82 25.0
includes 141.10 141.57 0.47 2.28 81.0
includes 144.67 146.25 1.58 1.33 38.0
includes 153.00 159.85 6.85 0.56 16.0
includes 159.15 159.85 0.70 2.87 77.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-291-D NL66150 North Limb North 29.00 60.00 31.00 0.55 9.0
includes 32.47 35.00 2.53 0.78 4.0
includes 47.42 51.24 3.82 2.15 40.0
includes 49.00 50.90 1.90 3.45 60.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-292-D NL66075 North Limb North 79.00 104.00 25.00 0.52 13.0
includes 79.85 81.00 1.15 1.91 25.0
includes 79.85 80.28 0.43 3.80 47.0
includes 91.62 94.47 2.85 2.48 63.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-294-D NL66150 North Limb North 72.35 97.00 24.65 0.45 6.0
includes 72.35 74.00 1.65 1.87 18.0
includes 72.35 73.22 0.87 2.96 30.0
includes 77.78 78.05 0.27 1.13 15.0
includes 84.46 88.47 4.01 0.91 18.0
includes 87.32 88.12 0.80 1.64 33.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-295-D NL66325 North Limb North 79.92 99.00 19.08 0.56 13.0
includes 80.23 90.12 9.89 0.53 10.0
includes 80.23 81.00 0.77 1.10 10.0
includes 89.91 90.12 0.21 3.62 95.0
includes 92.40 98.00 5.60 0.78 20.0
includes 94.25 94.72 0.47 2.92 68.0
includes 97.17 97.53 0.36 2.79 46.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-299-D NL66425 North Limb North 39.00 68.59 29.59 0.32 4.0
includes 51.97 53.45 1.48 0.64 1.0
includes 57.76 64.68 6.92 0.62 13.0
includes 59.15 60.49 1.34 1.06 24.0
includes 64.27 64.68 0.41 1.24 26.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-304-D NL66525 North Limb North 75.00 100.00 25.00 0.43 8.0
includes 87.65 94.50 6.85 0.99 23.0
includes 90.16 94.50 4.34 1.30 30.0
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Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in resource exploration and development. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Hana Mining Ltd.
Marek Kreczmer
CEO
(604) 676-0824
info@hanamining.com
Hana Mining Ltd.
Patrick Donnelly
VP - Corporate Development
(604) 676-0824
patrick@hanamining.com
www.hanamining.com