Alba Min Res PLC - Mining Exploration Portfolio Update
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
RNS Number : 7980H
Alba Mineral Resources PLC
27 March 2020
Alba Mineral Resources plc
("Alba" or "the Company")
Mining Exploration Portfolio Update
Alba Mineral Resources plc (AIM: ALBA), the diversified mineral exploration and
development company, announces the following changes in relation to its
exploration licence portfolio:
Greenland
Amitsoq Graphite Project (Mineral Exploration Licence ("MEL") 2013-06): The
licence area has been reduced from 146 km² to ~48 km². All existing areas of
interest have been retained, including the full extent of the Amitsoq and
Kalaaq graphite deposits.
Inglefield Multi-Element Project (MEL 2017-40 and MEL 2018-25): MEL 2018-25
has been reduced in size from 466 km² to ~88 km². The key Four Finger IronOre-Copper-Gold ("IOCG") Target has been retained.
In addition, the Company has applied for MEL 2017-40 to be relinquished in
full. This licence was taken out in 2017 when the main Inglefield Project areas
were still under licence to the previous operator. Once those main areas
became free for application, they were then incorporated within MEL 2018-25
which was granted to Alba the following year. As such, MEL 2017-40 is
considered of moderate interest when compared to MEL 2018-25. The
Company is in discussions with the Mineral and Licensing Authority of
Greenland regarding the requirements to formalise the relinquishment.
Melville Bay Iron Ore Project (MEL 2017-41): The licence area has been
reduced from 53 km² to ~17km². The area incorporating the existing defined
JORC-compliant Inferred Resource (67 million tonnes at 31.4% Fe (iron ore)) has
been retained, together with all other areas of historic drilling.
No changes have been made to MEL 2017-29, the licence area for the Alba
Group's 100% owned Thule Black Sands Ilmenite Project ("TBS"). TBS continues
to benefit from an existing defined JORC-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource
of 19 million tonnes at 43.6% Total Heavy Minerals (THM), with an in-situ
ilmenite grade of 8.9%, being one of the highest in-situ grades of any ilmenite
project in the world.
Ireland
Alba's 100% owned Limerick Base Metals Project is held by Alba's subsidiary
Aurum Mineral Resources Limited ("AMR") under exploration licence PL3824.
This licence was due for renewal by 26 March 2020. Renewal would have been
for a further two-year period and involve a commitment by AMR to expend
further sums on exploration at the Project. Given the present circumstances
surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic (see below), which make it
uncertain when the Alba Group will be able to resume field operations at any
of its Projects, AMR has written to the Exploration and Mining Division ("EMD"),
a division of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and
Environment of The Republic of Ireland, to inform it that AMR is not in a
position currently to make a decision regarding the renewal of the licence and
to request an extension of time for AMR to reach a decision. Alba will advise of
the final outcome of this matter following receipt of advice from the EMD.
COVID-19
The Company expects to publish its Final Results for the financial year ended
30 November 2019 in the next few days. The Company's RNS of the Final
Results will contain further detail regarding Alba's response to the COVID-19
global pandemic and the Company's current views regarding the effect of this
situation on the Company's ongoing operations.
George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman, commented:
"These reductions in our Greenlandic licence areas do not affect any of the key
areas of interest across our licences, and as such they represent a sensible
refining and focusing of our land-holding in Greenland. Expenditure
commitments in Greenland are largely a function of the size of licences held,
so this process of regular review and refinement allows us to keep our
expenditure commitments under control.
We had already set these reductions in motion prior to the onset of the COVID19 global pandemic. However, given the seriousness and speed in recent
weeks of the public health crisis that has engulfed all countries in which our
projects are located, this rationalising of our licence commitments is a timely
one, given the challenges that all junior mining companies are likely to face in
the coming weeks and months.
We continue to keep the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic under
constant review and we will be updating shareholders in more detail about
that in our Final Results which are expected to be released in the next few
days."
For further information, please contact:
Alba Mineral Resources plc
George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman
+44 20 3907 4297
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nomad)
James Caithie / Liam Murray
+44 20 7213 0880
First Equity Limited (Broker)
Jason Robertson
+44 20 7374 2212
Alba's Project and Investment Portfolio
Project (commodity)
Location
Ownership
Amitsoq (graphite)
Greenland
90%
Clogau (gold)
Wales
90%
Inglefield (copper, cobalt, gold)
Greenland
100%
Limerick (zinc-lead)
Ireland
100%
Melville Bay (iron ore)
Greenland
51%
TBS (ilmenite)
Greenland
100%
Brockham (oil)
England
5%
Horse Hill (oil)
England
11.765%
Mining Projects
Oil & Gas Investments
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the
Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions
relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
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