21st Dec 2015 13:37
LONDON (Alliance News) - Premier African Minerals Ltd on Monday said it has pitted two anomalous zones at its Zulu Tantalum and Lithium project in Zimbabwe and said tantalite grades could be up to 990 parts per million.
The grades of up to 990 part tantalum per tonne of ore were estimated from 4 millimetre fractions taken from the two anomalous zones, and the company added there was high tantalum pentoxide grades with low grades of thorium and uranium.
"Independent laboratory assay of selected samples has provided Premier with a standard reference to our in-house analyses and based on the adjusted values, we have identified distinct high grade zones in eluvials within the area pitted," said the company.
Test work on larger samples taken from the two zones will begin in January with the aim of defining the exact grades of the zones which will assist the company in deciding how to develop the project, including the prospect of a low-cost, smaller scale mining operation, it said.
"It is important to note that tantalite was always expected to be an addition to the main anticipated commercial exploitation of hard-rock lithium compounds at Zulu," the company said.
In addition, Premier African said there was a presence of scheelite, a tungsten-bearing mineral which could provide a by-product. The average grades initially observed were around 450 grammes per tonne in the 4 millimetre fraction.
Premier African shares were trading flat at 0.475 pence per share on Monday afternoon.
By Joshua Warner; [email protected]; @JoshAlliance
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