20th Jan 2010 07:14
Nyota Minerals Limited ('Nyota' or the 'Company')
FURTHER POSITIVE EXPLORATION RESULTS AT TULU KAPI GOLD PROJECT
|
_____________________________________________________________________________ HIGHLIGHTS Exploration results suggest that the Tulu Kapi ore body is larger than first anticipated Results increase the known extent of the Tulu Kapi ore body both to the north east and contiguous to the maiden ore resource of 690,000 oz gold; A new zone of mineralisation has been identified below the previously discovered Zones 1 and 2, again suggesting that the Tulu Kapi orebody is larger than previously thought; Trenches intersect mineralisation over notable widths including 1.91g/t Au over 8.50m, 1.51g/t Au over 13.0m and 1.64g/t Au over 26.0m; Peak trench results include 1m @ 5.49 g/t Au 1m @ 10.35 g/t Au 1m @ 4.58 g/t Au 1m @ 7.84 g/t Au _____________________________________________________________________________ |
Nyota Minerals Limited (AIM:NYO/ASX:NYO), which is focused on the exploration and development of gold and nickel projects in Africa, is pleased to announce further encouraging results from the trenching programme completed at its Tulu Kapi gold project, Ethiopia, in December 2009.
The trenching programme was undertaken in five locations within the Tulu Kapi Licence and was designed to test extensions to the known mineralisation at surface and depth.
A 12 month drilling programme that commenced in September is ongoing with the aim of increasing and upgrading the maiden Inferred JORC resource of 690,000oz. Nyota's objective remains to increase the Inferred Resource to the point where it is confident to assess mining scenarios.
Melissa Sturgess, Chief Executive Officer commented "Exploration results have been extremely encouraging and suggest that the Tulu Kapi Project is larger than first anticipated. The accumulation of drilling and trench data has provided the Company with the ability to project mineralisation and identify new drill holes with a high degree of confidence. The short-term objective remains to continue step-out drilling around the Maiden Resource to establish the scope for Tulu Kapi and move towards mining the ore body."
Extension of mineralisation east of previously estimated limit (Figure 1)
Three trenches (TKTR01, TKTR02, TKTR03) have been excavated up to 400m due east of the previously assumed limits of the Tulu Kapi ore body to intersect up-dip extensions of mineralisation to surface.
Trench TKTR01, sited approximately 40m due east of diamond drill hole ("DDH") TKBH029, intersected mineralisation over a width of 8.50m returning a grade of 1.91g/t Au. Projection of mineralisation up-dip from DDH TKBH029 to the trench outcrop indicates the extension of the Zone 1 ore body to surface. As a result, further Reverse Circulation ("RC") drill holes have been planned in the southern sector of Tulu Kapi to step out further east to identify Zone 2 mineralisation intersected during the original 34 diamond drill hole programme, which is also expected to outcrop at surface.
|
Trench No |
Sample No |
Total Length |
From |
To |
Width |
Grade |
|
|
|
(m) |
(m) |
(m) |
(m) |
(g/t Au) |
|
TKTR01 |
G012 - G014 |
19.20 |
10.70 |
19.20 |
8.50 |
1.91 |
|
TKTR02 |
G020 |
20.00 |
5.00 |
6.00 |
1.00 |
1.30 |
Trench TKTR02, sited approximately 150m further east was excavated to establish the location of the NNE - SSW oriented shear zone believed to define the southern boundary of the Tulu Kapi mineralised body. Rather than intersecting the shear zone, the trench exposed mineralisation over 1.0m returning a grade of 1.30g/t Au further confirming the continuity of mineralisation beyond its previously assumed limits. As a result, additional RC drill holes have been planned to evaluate the extension of mineralisation.
New zone of mineralisation confirmed beneath the previously defined Zones 1 and 2
Trench TKTR03, sited approximately 400m east of DDH TKBH31, in the northern quadrant of Tulu Kapi has intersected a new mineralised zone estimated to occur approximately 60m below the base of the Zone 2 body. The trench was sited specifically to test for up-dip extension and surface outcrop of new mineralised structures beneath the proven Zones 1 and 2 evidenced during diamond drilling used to define the original Maiden Resource. Two boreholes, DDHTK31 and DDHTK33 both intersected mineralisation at depths that do not fit the geological model defining Zones 1 and 2. The peak gold grade attributed to this new zone in DDHTK31 was 6.1g/t Au over 1.8m whilst DDHTK33 returned grades of 1.6g/t Au over 2.9m, 21.2g/t Au over 2.6m and 5.0g/t Au over 0.4m. Trench TKTR03, intersected 3 mineralised zones returning grades of 0.9g/t Au over 7.0m, 1.25g/t Au over 1.0m and 1.22g/t Au over 1.0m. The western limit of the trench terminated in mineralisation and a further 10m of alteration and quartz veining was visible at surface but not sampled as trenching would have required excavation of the drill access road being used for the ongoing RC drill programme. When projected down-dip from the new trench intersections, this new mineralised structure coincides with the mineralisation intersected in DDHTK31 and DDHTK33.
|
Trench No |
Sample No |
Total Length |
From |
To |
Width |
Grade |
|
|
|
(m) |
(m) |
(m) |
(m) |
(g/t Au) |
|
TKTR03 |
GPM111251- GPM111260 |
30.00 |
0.00 |
9.00 |
9.00 |
0.90 |
|
GPM111265 |
12.00 |
13.00 |
1.00 |
1.25 |
||
|
GPM111272 |
19.00 |
20.00 |
1.00 |
1.22 |
New mineralised target identified (Figure 1)
Trenches TKTR04 and TKTR05 have been excavated approximately 400m NE of the current northern limit of drilling close to a former UNDP borehole drilled in the 1970's. Trench TKTR04 returned a grade of 1.63g/t Au over 13m including peak internal grades of 5.49g/t Au over 1.0m and 10.35g/t Au over 1.0m. The trench was mineralised over its entire length.
Trench TKTR05 returned a grade of 1.64g/t Au over 26m and included internal peak grades of 4.58g/t Au over 1.0m, 5.20g/t Au over 1.0m and 7.84g/t Au over 1.0m. Again, the trench was mineralised over its entire length.
|
Trench No |
Sample No |
Total Length |
From |
To |
Width |
Grade |
|
|
|
(m) |
(m) |
(m) |
(m) |
(g/t Au) |
|
TKTR04 |
GPM111393 - GPM111407 |
13.00 |
0.00 |
13.00 |
13.00 |
1.63 |
|
inc. |
GPM111400 |
6.00 |
7.00 |
1.00 |
5.49 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111407 |
12.00 |
13.00 |
1.00 |
10.35 |
|
|
TKTR05 |
GPM111411 - GPM111439 |
27.00 |
1.00 |
27.00 |
26.00 |
1.64 |
|
inc. |
GPM111411 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
2.09 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111420 |
9 |
10 |
1 |
4.58 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111428 |
16 |
17 |
1 |
5.2 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111429 |
17 |
18 |
1 |
2.22 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111435 |
23 |
24 |
1 |
1.01 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111437 |
24 |
25 |
1 |
1.66 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111438 |
25 |
26 |
1 |
2.94 |
|
|
inc. |
GPM111439 |
26 |
27 |
1 |
7.84 |
Whilst the new discovery is contiguous with the Tulu Kapi body, the strike and dip of the mineralised intersections are clearly different and possibly represent a new structure.
To date, two diamond drill holes have been completed over the new discovery and assay results are pending. A vertical hole drilled close to trench TKTR05 reported visible gold in drill core which bodes well for future assay results.
The technical exploration and mining information contained in this Announcement has been reviewed and approved by Mr RN Chapman. Mr Chapman has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity to which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and as a qualified person under the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies. Mr Chapman is an employee of Mineral Exploration Management Limited, an independent geological consultancy established in 2005 and is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and metallurgy (Aus.I.M.M). Mr. N Chapman in his capacity as Competent Person has verified that all trench excavation, sampling and assaying has been undertaken using best practice. Trenches were excavated perpendicular to the strike of the mineralised structures, sample widths were determined by visual inspection of rock types and quartz veining/sulphide mineralisation and in each case, sufficient material was collected to provide a representative sample for assay. Mr Chapman consents to the inclusion in this Announcement of such information in the form and context in which it appears.
TO VIEW A MAP SHOWING THE TRENCH LOCATIONS (FIGURE 1), PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING WEB LINK:
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/8258F_-2010-1-20.pdf
For further information please contact:
Melissa Sturgess
Nyota Minerals Limited
(+44) (0)78 2555 1397 or [email protected]
Richard Brown/ Richard Greenfield
Ambrian Partners Limited
(+44) (0)20 7634 4700
Press enquiries
Charlie Geller or Leesa Peters
Conduit PR
+44 (0)20 7429 6604/ +44 (0)75 282 33383
Or visit: http://www.nyotaminerals.com
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