26 January 2021
Power Metal Resources plc
("Power Metal" or the "Company")
Haneti Nickel PGM Project - Drilling Update
Power Metal Resources plc (LON:POW) the AIM listed metals exploration and development company is pleased to announce an update regarding the maiden drill programme targeting the discovery of nickel and platinum group metals ("PGM") at the Haneti Nickel PGM Project ("Haneti" or the "Project") in Tanzania.
Power Metal holds a 35% ownership interest in Haneti with 65% held by Katoro Gold plc (LON:KAT)("Katoro").
Paul Johnson Chief Executive Officer of Power Metal Resources plc commented:
"The successful completion of the maiden drill programme at Haneti is another positive step forward and with samples now dispatched to the laboratory, we eagerly await the assay results.
I am grateful to the operating team who worked hard over the traditional Christmas season to implement this programme successfully, particularly given the challenging weather conditions towards the latter half of the programme."
HIGHLIGHTS:
· Maiden drill programme now complete with 1,965 metres of Rotary Air Blast ("RAB") drilling completed over 50 holes at Mihanza Hill and Mwaka Hill with 1,965 samples collected.
· 776 three metre composite samples prepared from the RAB drill programme with a Quality Assurance/Quality Control sample inserted every 10 samples.
· All RAB samples have now been sent to SGS Tanzania ("SGS"), an accredited assay laboratory, all samples will be analysed by their multi-element Aqua Regia Digestion/ICP-OES* method with 13 select samples to also be tested using Fire Assay for gold, platinum and palladium.
· In addition, 4 rock samples collected from mapping have been sent to SGS for assay.
· Images from Haneti may be viewed on a Gallery section of the Company's website through the following link: https://www.powermetalresources.com/p/230/haneti-project-gallery
HANETI PROJECT - NICKEL SULPHIDE AND PGM TARGETS - FURTHER INFORMATION
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Haneti Nickel Project covers an area of approximately 5,000 km2 in central Tanzania approximately 88 km north of the capital city Dodoma. It comprises tenements (prospecting licences, offers and applications) prospective for nickel, PGMs and gold.
One of the key exploration objectives for the JV partners at Haneti is to delineate the potential for economic nickel mineralisation on the linear dyke-like, Haneti-Itiso Ultramafic Complex ("HIUC") which sporadically crops out over a strike length of 80 km through the centre of the tenement holding. The HIUC mainly comprises serpentinites (metamorphosed ultrabasic rocks such as dunite and peridotite), with metabasic rocks such as metagabbro and metadolerite and is being targeted for a Chonolith-Type Nickel exploration model.
RAB DRILL PROGRAMME
The RAB drilling programme focussed on the Mihanza Hill and Mwaka Hill targets which were selected based on the recommendations of the 2012 airborne electromagnetic ("AEM") geophysics survey, the detailed field programme undertaken in 2013 and further supplementary exploration findings. Drilling was focused on Mihanzi Hill and Mwaka Hill for this campaign, as they were considered to be the priority targets at this stage.
The 1,965m RAB drilling programme consisted of 50 holes drilled on linear fences across the targets. The programme is seeking to verify the existence of near surface nickel sulphide mineralisation at each target whilst increasing the geological understanding such that the orientation and the meterage of a planned follow-up diamond drill programme can be optimised to confirm the scale of any nickel sulphide mineralisation.
The drilling was conducted by an experienced Tanzanian company in line with international best practice and in accordance with health and safety and COVID-19 precautions.
HISTORIC NICKEL EXPLORATION
The Haneti area was first explored in 1931 by a private prospector who collected a nickel‐rich magnetite sample at Mihanza Hill. Later trenching uncovered a few discontinuous green stained veins rich in nickel‐silicates and containing several percent nickel.
In the early 1960s the Geological Survey of Tanzania carried out mapping, pitting, soil sampling, trenching and rock chip sampling of ultramafic outcrops on the Zoani, Mindii and Mihanza hills, within the HIUC belt.
Further geological mapping and sampling was undertaken in 2006, 2007 and in 2013.
Additionally, an AEM geophysics survey was completed over the Mihanza and Mwaka Hill anomalies in 2012 with further geophysics flown in 2015.
A study commissioned with a consultant expert in ultramafic rock geochemistry in 2015 identified the nickel, copper, platinum, palladium anomaly at Mihanza Hill as a drill ready target. This report suggested that the Itiso‐Haneti Ultramafic body may fit the Chonolith-Type Nickel exploration model which would imply that the main ultramafic belt may have small discrete sulphide bodies associated with it.
In 2019 a number of soil samples collected during the 2013 exploration programme were sent for analysis and the results confirmed the existing knowledge base and also identified a new ultramafic sub-crop (as announced by Katoro on 30 January 2019.)
Reference:
* ICP-OES: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry
COMPETENT PERSON STATEMENT
The technical information contained in this disclosure has been read and approved by Mr Nick O'Reilly (MSc, DIC, MIMMM, MAusIMM, FGS), who is a qualified geologist and acts as the Competent Person under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr O'Reilly is a Principal consultant working for Mining Analyst Consulting Ltd which has been retained by Power Metal Resources PLC to provide technical support.
The information contained within this announcement is considered to be inside information prior to its release, as defined in Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation No.596/2014 and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of those Regulations.
For further information please visit https://www.powermetalresources.com/ or contact:
Power Metal Resources plc |
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Paul Johnson (Chief Executive Officer) |
+44 (0) 7766 465 617 |
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SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nomad and Joint Broker) |
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Ewan Leggat/Charlie Bouverat |
+44 (0) 20 3470 0470 |
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SI Capital Limited (Joint Broker) |
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Nick Emerson |
+44 (0) 1483 413 500 |
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First Equity Limited (Joint Broker) |
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David Cockbill/Jason Robertson |
+44 (0) 20 7330 1883 |
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Notes to Editors:
P ower Metal Resources plc (LON:POW) is an AIM listed metals exploration and development company seeking a large scale metal discovery.
The Company has a global portfolio of project interests including precious metals exploration in North America and Australia together with base and strategic metal exploration in Africa. Project interests range from early stage greenfield exploration to later stage prospects currently subject to drill programmes.
The Board and its team of advisors have expertise in project generation, exploration and development and have identified an opportunity to utilise the Company's position to become a leader in the London market for investors wishing to gain exposure to proactive global metals exploration.