LONDON, April 27, 2015 /CNW/ - Horizonte Minerals
Plc, (AIM: HZM, TSX: HZM) ('Horizonte' or 'the Company') the
nickel development company focused in Brazil, is pleased to announce the completion
of the bulk sample collection ahead of the full scale pilot plant
campaign for its 100% owned Araguaia nickel project ('Araguaia') in
Para State, north central Brazil.
Highlights
- High grade nickel intersections received from bulk sampling
drilling include:
- 11.45 meters grading 2.68% Ni
- 8.38 meters grading 2.42%
Ni
- 12.51 meters grading 2.14% Ni
- Successful collection of bulk sample using wide diameter auger
drilling of 23 holes totalling 260.6 metres to collect 261 tonnes
(wet) of selected material from three sites on the Pequizeiro
deposit
- 240 tonnes (wet) of selected material has now been transported
to the Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace ('RKEF') Pilot Plant at Morro
Azul, Minas Gerais State
Horizonte CEO Jeremy Martin said,
"The completion of the bulk sample collection is another milestone
as part of the on-going Feasibility work at Araguaia.
"The bulk sample has now been transported from site in eight
articulated lorries to the south of Brazil where the pilot plant is located at
Morro Azul. The next stage is very exciting as we start the
commercial pilot campaign to produce nickel, which is targeted to
commence at the end of April 2015.
We will feed this bulk sample for approximately 18 and 20
days, 24 hours a day, through the plant and produce ferronickel
using the proven Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace process. This
is last de-risking step in demonstrating the project is amenable to
the RKEF process, and the data and results will then be used to
finalise the flow sheet for the commercial RKEF processing plant as
part of the Feasibility study. I look forward to keeping
shareholders updated during this exciting phase."
Further Details
Drill Testing of Selected Bulk Sample Sites
Drilling was completed in 64 holes totalling 944 metres on 4
metre drill grids across the four selected bulk sample sites.
The aim of this drilling was to ensure that the in-situ grade of
the bulk sample is well understood and that the sample can be
blended to match the chemistry of the commercial mining
operation. All the results have now been received. Those
results not previously reported are presented in Table 1 below.
Wide Diameter Auger Drilling
Twenty three auger holes, 1 metre in diameter, with a total
length of 260.6 metres were drilled at selected locations based on
the results of the pre bulk sample drilling. This auger
drilling is a low cost method of collecting bulk sample material,
with each 0.7 metre drilled delivering approximately 0.5 dry tonnes
of sample material. Complete auger hole samples averaging 0.7
metres in length were collected over selected intervals totalling
202 metres. A total of 286 samples were collected with a total wet
weight of 261 tonnes. Each sample was assayed and a final selection
of 264 samples totalling 240 tonnes (wet) were selected for the
bulk sample feed to the RKEF pilot plant. At an average free
moisture content of 43.5% H2O this will result in total
dry sample of approximately 135 tonnes.
The samples have been transported in eight lorries from the
project site to the RKEF pilot plant located at Morro Azul,
southern Brazil. The Morro Azul pilot plant was originally
built by Anglo American and is now
operated by IGEO and has been used by several major nickel
companies (including Vale and Anglo
American) for pilot test work, staff training and final
product testing. The full scale pilot campaign is due to
commence in late April 2015.
Table 1. Bulk
Sample Site Test Drilling
4m x 4m
Drilling
Intercepts ≥1% Ni
cut-off
Holes PCA-DD-1436B
to PCA-DD-1497B
|
Hole
|
From
(m)
|
To
(m)
|
Width
(m)
|
Ni
%
|
PCA_DD_1436B
|
NSI
|
PCA_DD_1437B
|
1.32
|
15.00
|
13.68
|
1.71
|
PCA_DD_1438B
|
2.23
|
15.00
|
12.77
|
1.82
|
PCA_DD_1439B
|
5.44
|
13.24
|
7.80
|
1.07
|
PCA_DD_1440B
|
1.08
|
15.03
|
13.95
|
1.74
|
PCA_DD_1441B
|
2.49
|
15.00
|
12.51
|
2.14
|
PCA_DD_1442B
|
1.25
|
12.20
|
10.95
|
1.72
|
PCA_DD_1443B
|
0.50
|
15.00
|
14.50
|
1.54
|
PCA_DD_1444B
|
1.54
|
9.92
|
8.38
|
2.42
|
PCA_DD_1445B
|
1.25
|
9.97
|
8.72
|
1.88
|
PCA_DD_1446B
|
1.06
|
15.01
|
13.95
|
1.63
|
PCA_DD_1447B
|
0.99
|
9.28
|
8.29
|
1.98
|
PCA_DD_1448B
|
6.20
|
13.25
|
7.05
|
1.04
|
PCA_DD_1449B
|
0.95
|
15.00
|
14.05
|
1.70
|
PCA_DD_1450B
|
NSI
|
PCA_DD_1451B
|
2.79
|
14.33
|
11.54
|
1.15
|
PCA_DD_1452B
|
0.98
|
15.24
|
14.26
|
1.63
|
PCA_DD_1453B
|
1.11
|
15.00
|
13.89
|
1.48
|
PCA_DD_1454B
|
5.29
|
15.00
|
9.71
|
1.20
|
PCA_DD_1455B
|
NSI
|
PCA_DD_1456B
|
1.10
|
14.66
|
13.56
|
1.58
|
PCA_DD_1459B
|
1.26
|
15.16
|
13.90
|
1.61
|
PCA_DD_1460B
|
5.26
|
11.97
|
6.71
|
1.09
|
PCA_DD_1461B
|
NSI
|
PCA_DD_1462B
|
1.15
|
15.10
|
13.95
|
1.52
|
PCA_DD_1463B
|
5.04
|
13.64
|
8.60
|
1.12
|
PCA_DD_1464B
|
0.29
|
15.14
|
14.85
|
1.84
|
PCA_DD_1465B
|
0.00
|
9.26
|
9.26
|
1.99
|
PCA_DD_1466B
|
8.95
|
13.90
|
4.95
|
1.09
|
PCA_DD_1467B
|
1.10
|
15.05
|
13.95
|
1.53
|
PCA_DD_1468B
|
0.84
|
15.05
|
14.21
|
2.09
|
PCA_DD_1469B
|
1.61
|
10.48
|
8.87
|
1.80
|
PCA_DD_1470B
|
5.06
|
15.10
|
10.04
|
1.13
|
PCA_DD_1471B
|
1.10
|
15.05
|
13.95
|
1.58
|
PCA_DD_1472B
|
0.90
|
15.10
|
14.20
|
1.86
|
PCA_DD_1473B
|
1.55
|
15.00
|
13.45
|
1.62
|
PCA_DD_1474B
|
4.81
|
11.63
|
6.82
|
1.10
|
PCA_DD_1476B
|
0.65
|
13.63
|
12.98
|
1.90
|
PCA_DD_1479B
|
NSI
|
PCA_DD_1480B
|
0.65
|
12.10
|
11.45
|
2.68
|
PCA_DD_1482B
|
0.00
|
12.41
|
12.41
|
2.01
|
PCA_DD_1483B
|
5.81
|
15.13
|
9.32
|
1.11
|
PCA_DD_1484B
|
0.00
|
15.00
|
15.00
|
1.89
|
PCA_DD_1485B
|
0.90
|
15.00
|
14.10
|
1.90
|
PCA_DD_1487B
|
1.50
|
15.00
|
13.50
|
1.81
|
PCA_DD_1488B
|
0.00
|
13.35
|
13.35
|
1.83
|
PCA_DD_1490B
|
1.54
|
15.00
|
13.46
|
2.09
|
PCA_DD_1493B
|
1.30
|
13.71
|
12.41
|
2.03
|
PCA_DD_1497B
|
0.00
|
12.42
|
12.42
|
1.76
|
NSI: No significant intersection
The compositing of the nickel grades in the individual holes was
completed across geological boundaries using a nickel cut-off of 1%
with a minimum intercept length of 2.0 metres and a maximum length
of internal waste of 2 metres. All holes were vertical and,
as these nickel laterite deposits are essentially flat-lying, all
widths given are true widths. Core recoveries in the
mineralised sections met the appropriate standards for this style
of mineralisation and were generally >90%.
Sample preparation and analyses
Samples from drill core were crushed and pulverised at the ALS
laboratory in Goiania and the resultant pulps analysed at the ALS
laboratory in Lima, Peru using
tetraborate fusion and X-Ray Fluorescence ('XRF'). Full QA/QC
procedures were followed, including the insertion of standards,
duplicates and blanks. Check samples representing
approximately 5% of all the samples will be sent to another
international laboratory for analysis by XRF.
Horizonte Minerals prepared this news release and David Hall BSc, MSc, Fellow SEG PGeo. a director
of the Company and Qualified Person under National Instrument
43-101, reviewed and approved the drillhole technical
information.
About Horizonte Minerals:
Horizonte Minerals plc is an AIM and TSX-listed nickel
development company focused in Brazil, which wholly owns the advanced
Araguaia nickel laterite project located to the south of the
Carajas mineral district of northern Brazil.
The Company is developing Araguaia as the next major nickel mine
in Brazil, with targeted
production by late 2017 or early 2018.
The Project, which has excellent infrastructure in place
including rail, road, water and power, has a current NI 43-101
compliant Mineral Resource of 71.98Mt grading 1.33% Ni (Indicated)
and 25.4Mt at 1.21% Ni (Inferred) at a 0.95% nickel cut-off;
included in Resources is a Probable Reserve of 21.2Mt at
1.66%Ni.
A Pre-Feasibility Study has been completed which underpins the
robust economics of developing a mine with a targeted 15,000tpa
nickel in ferro-nickel output with a 20% Fe-Ni product over a 25
year mine life utilising the proven pyrometallurgical process of
Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace technology. At these production
rates, the project has a post-tax NPV of US$519m at a discount rate of 8% and an IRR of
20%, with a capital cost of US$582m
which puts this project in the lowest quartile of the cost
curve.
Horizonte has a strong shareholder structure including Teck
Resources Limited 38.5%, Henderson Global Investors 14%, Anglo
Pacific Group 7%.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD
LOOKING INFORMATION
Except for statements of historical fact relating to the
Company, certain information contained in this press release
constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities
legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not
limited to, statements with respect to the potential of the
Company's current or future property mineral projects; the success
of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future
exploration, production and development; the estimation of mineral
resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve
its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; and the
realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates. Generally,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not
expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates",
"forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or
"believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements
that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would",
"might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved".
Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions,
estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its
experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and
expected developments, as well as other factors that management
believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the
date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or
achievements of the Company to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including
but not limited to risks related to: exploration and mining risks,
competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's
lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining
operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks;
environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration,
mining and other licences; the Company's future payment
obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title
to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's
dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the
future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third
parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency
fluctuations and political or economic instability in
countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange
fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth
effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the
Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to
continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's
dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of
directors and officers of the Company, and various risks associated
with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company
operates.
Although management of the Company has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements.
SOURCE Horizonte Minerals plc