Alba Min Res PLC - Expanded Areas of Gold Mineralisation at Clogau
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
RNS Number : 3912A
Alba Mineral Resources PLC
29 May 2019
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associated PDF document (including maps and images):
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/3912A_1-2019-528.pdf
Alba Mineral Resources plc
("Alba" or the "Company")
Latest Sampling Results Expand Areas of Gold Mineralisation
at Clogau Gold Project
Alba Mineral Resources plc (AIM: ALBA) Alba (AIM: ALBA), the diversified
mineral exploration and development company, is pleased to report the
second set of results from the 2019 soil sampling campaign being undertaken
within the Company's 107 km2 licence area in North Wales. Alba's Clogau Gold
Project hosts the high-grade Clogau-St David's gold mine as well as the
extensive regional target known as the Dolgellau Gold Belt.
Highlights
·
Results have been obtained from a further 243 samples from the recently
completed 1,200 sample programme.
·
Gold-in-soil grades from two new anomalies away from the existing mine
area and not associated with historic mine workings range in grade from
0.005 to 0.25 g/t Au (at a 0.005 g/t cut-off).
·
Previously reported anomalies have been extended in strike length based
on the new results.
·
Average grades for the new anomalies are well above the average gold-in
soil grades for Clogau-St David's and the other historic mine areas.
·
In total, results have now been received for 768 samples of the 1,200
sample programme, or 898 sampling results including the 2018 sampling
programme.
·
Gold mineralisation has now been confirmed across ~6 miles along the
strike extent of the Dolgellau Gold Belt and from within multiple
geological units.
· The 1,200 sample programme has been completed and the field team has
commenced Phase 2 of the programme involving infill and extension
sampling.
Alba's Executive Chairman, George Frangeskides, commented:
"Our regional exploration of the Dolgellau Gold Belt continues to bear fruit. We
have now confirmed mineralisation across around six miles of the Gold Belt, and in
total have identified seven new mineralised zones which are not associated with
historic mine workings. The fact that the average grades for those zones exceeds the
equivalent grades obtained over the Clogau-St David' s mine itself is genuinely
exciting."
"Our exploration team is back in the field now, and conducting infill and extension
sampling, as we seek to increase our knowledge and understanding of these new
gold zones. We will report further developments as they arise."
Soil Sampling Programme
Ongoing soil sampling and geochemical analysis is being carried out within the
Dolgellau Gold Belt with samples generally collected at ~20 m intervals on lines
~200 m apart. This exploration programme is the first of its kind, utilising
modern-day exploration techniques, that has been undertaken on the
Dolgellau Gold Belt since the first discovery of gold and base metals there
during the 18th century.
The current field programme complements and expands upon the orientation
programme that was completed in the summer of 2018.
During that
orientation programme, soil sampling was undertaken in the area above and
immediately adjacent to the existing Clogau-St David's mine. This confirmed
the presence of an associated gold-in-soil anomaly and thereby confirmed the
validity of the exploration technique which is now being rolled out across
extensive regional targets within the wider licence area.
At each sample location, a sample is being taken from the B soil horizon
(subsoil) by hand auger. The results from the current programme have been
taken from a total of 768 soil samples and were submitted for assay at the
accredited ALS laboratory in Ireland. To date, including the 130 samples
collected in the summer of 2018, results have been received from a total of 898
submitted samples. The team has now completed the initial 1,200 samples
and has commenced infill and extension sampling based on the new results
obtained.
For further details on the sampling results, see the pdf version of this RNS
where Figure 1 highlights the targets identified to date from the sampling
programme, being new targets based on the most recent batch of samples
results and previously reported anomalies, both believed to occur where
limited or no mining activities have taken place. The new anomalies require
detailed ground-truthing although it is understood that no significant mining
activities have occurred in these areas.
Figure 2 in the pdf version of this RNS shows the locations of all 898 samples
collected and assayed to date. Sampling to date, including those with assays
still pending, covers a strike extent along the Dolgellau Gold Belt of
approximately 7.5 miles.
Figure 3 in the pdf version of this RNS shows all the results obtained to date
which have a laboratory gold detection limit of at least 0.001 ppm (equivalent
to 0.001 g/t) Au. The assay results for the gold-in-soil show a restricted
dispersion halo away from the predicted historic targets. Given the limited
weathering and thin soil profile above bedrock, the anomalous values are
considered likely to be close to source and the sampling highlights that low
gold-in-soil levels can be significant anomaly indicators given the fact that we
have previously confirmed the presence of a low-grade anomaly associated
with the Clogau-St David's mine, which we know to have historically produced a
significant amount of high-grade gold and which we consider to be prospective
for additional gold mineralisation.
The results show that gold-in-soil grades above the detection limit occur at
multiple locations within the areas sampled to date. Elevated values
correspond with the known mine areas as well as multiple locations that
appear to be unaffected by mining activities, thus some appear to represent
potential bedrock sources of gold rather than being due to contamination. This
includes a sample returning an assay of 0.65 g/t Au that lies within the Gamlan
Formation and is associated with an igneous intrusive body that may represent
an ore-controlling feature at the Clogau Mine. This is an area which will
undergo further investigation.
The results obtained to date highlight multiple anomalies across a range of
geological features. This is not surprising given the historic mining in the
region targeted gold and base metals from various lithological units.
Traditionally, however, gold was mined from within the Clogau Shale (shown in
blue in Figures 2 and 3 in the pdf version of this RNS) and it is clear from the
results obtained that a continuous anomaly is present within this unit.
However, elevated gold values are also now observed at contacts between the
Clogau Shale / Maentwrog boundary (shown in light grey in Figures 2 and 3 in
the pdf version of this RNS) and within the Gamlan Formation (shown in dark
grey in Figures 2 and 3 in the pdf version of this RNS) that do not appear to have
been the focus for most of the historic mining activities. Results from the latest
batch of samples are, however, located predominantly within the Clogau Shale
unit.
If the samples collected within the preliminary target boundaries of a grade
equal to or above 0.005 ppm are compared with those samples of that same
grade which were taken within the "historic" anomaly boundaries, it is clear
that the average grade of the samples across the new anomalies is very
comparable to the average grade of the samples from the "historic" anomalies
(see Table 1, below). Indeed, at the current level of investigation, the average
grades for new anomalies 1 and 2 are well above the averages for Clogau-St
David's and the other historic mine areas.
Table 1: Comparison of average grades of samples equal to or above
0.005 ppm.
Anomaly
No. of Samples
Min (ppm)
Max (ppm)
Average (ppm)
New Anomalies
1
14
0.005
0.250
0.039
2
7
0.006
0.247
0.053
1
2
17
6
0.005
0.005
0.060
0.279
0.012
0.056
3
4
0.006
0.648
0.170
4
7
0.005
0.01
0.007
5
2
0.005
0.007
0.006
Historic Anomalies
Clogau-St David's
10
0.005
0.013
0.008
Garthgell
14
0.005
0.022
0.008
Previously Reported Anomalies
Old Clogau
2
0.013
0.014
0.014
Vigra
3
0.014
0.018
0.016
Competent Person Declaration
The information in this release that relates to Exploration Results has been
reviewed by Mr Howard Baker, Technical Director of Alba Mineral Resources
Plc. Mr Baker is a Chartered Professional Fellow of the Australasian Institute of
Mining and Metallurgy (Membership Number 224239) and a Competent Person
as defined by the rules of International Reporting Codes that are aligned with
CRIRSCO. Howard Baker has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of
mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity
being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012
Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration targets,
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves', also known as the
JORC Code. The JORC code is a national reporting organisation that is aligned
with CRIRSCO. Howard Baker consents to the inclusion in the announcement of
the matters based on his information in the form and context in which they
appear.
Glossary
B soil horizon: Commonly referred to as "subsoil" and typically consists of clay
or minerals such as iron or aluminium oxides and minor organic material.
Plant roots penetrate through this layer, but it has very little humus.
Clogau Shale: A dark-grey or black-banded carbonaceous mudstone and silty
mudstone.
Geochemical: Relates to the chemical composition of the Earth and its rocks
and minerals.
Geophysics: The application of the methods and techniques of physics to the
study of the earth and the processes affecting it.
Hand Auger: A hand tool with a long blade that resembles a screw, which drills
narrow diameter holes when turned.
Intrusives: An igneous rock formed from magma forced into older rocks at
depth within the Earth's crust, which then typically slowly solidifies below the
Earth's surface.
Lithological Units: The lithology of a rock unit is a description of its physical
characteristics visible at outcrop, in hand or core samples or with low
magnification microscopy, such as colour, texture, grain size, and mineral
composition.
Lithological Contacts: The contact between two lithologies of differing
characteristics.
Mineralisation: Economically important metals that can occur at a variety of
scales from small disseminations through to large zones or ore bodies.
Pathfinder Elements: In geochemical exploration, an element that occurs in
close association with an element or commodity being sought, but one can be
more easily identified because it forms a broader halo or can be detected more
readily by analytical methods.
Quartz Veins: A distinct sheet-like body dominantly composed of quartz hosted
within a rock formation.
Strike Length: The direction and length of a geological feature (for example, a
vein or rock formation) measured on a horizontal surface.
Structural Architecture: The three-dimensional distribution of bodies of rock,
as controlled by geological structures.
Weathering Profile: A vertical assemblage of weathering zones (subsurface
zones of alteration differing physically, chemically or mineralogically from
adjacent zones) from the surface soil to the unaltered bedrock.
For further information, please contact:
Alba Mineral Resources plc
George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nomad)
James Caithie / Liam Murray
First Equity Limited (Broker)
Jason Robertson
Yellow Jersey PR (Financial PR/ IR)
Tim Thompson / Harriet Jackson / Henry Wilkinson
alba@yellowjerseypr.com
+44 20 3907 4297
+44 20 7213 0880
+44 20 7374 2212
+44 77 1071 8649
Alba's Project & Investment Portfolio
Mining
Amitsoq (Graphite, Greenland): Alba owns a 90 per cent interest in the Amitsoq
Graphite Project in Southern Greenland and has an option over the remaining
10 per cent.
Clogau (Gold, Wales): Alba owns a 90 per cent interest in Gold Mines of Wales
Limited ("GMOW"), the ultimate owner of the Clogau Gold project situated in
the Dolgellau Gold Belt in Wales.
Inglefield Land (Copper, Cobalt, Gold): Alba owns 100 per cent of mineral
exploration licence ("MEL") 2017/40 and 2018/25 in north-west Greenland.
Limerick (Base Metals, Ireland): Alba owns 100 per cent of the Limerick base
metal project in the Republic of Ireland.
Melville Bay (Iron Ore, Greenland): Alba is entitled to a 51 per cent interest in
MEL 2017/41 in Melville Bay, north-west Greenland. The licence area benefits
from an existing inferred JORC resource of 67 Mt @ 31.4% Fe.
Thule Black Sands (Ilmenite, Greenland): Alba owns 100 per cent of MEL 2017/29
in the Thule region, north-west Greenland.
Oil & Gas
Brockham (Oil & Gas, UK): Alba has a direct 5 per cent interest in Production
Licence 235, which comprises the previously producing onshore Brockham Oil
Field.
Horse Hill (Oil & Gas, UK): Alba holds an 11.765 per cent effective interest in the
Horse Hill oil and gas project (licences PEDL 137 and PEDL 246 covering a total
area of 142.9 km²) in the UK Weald Basin.
Web: www.albamineralresources.com
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Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions
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END
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