POSITIVE BOTTLE ROLL LEACH TEST RESULTS
FROM AFRICAN EAGLE'S ZANZUI NICKEL PROJECT, TANZANIA
Second promising nickel project in Tanzania
* Nickel extractions average 71%
* Lower acid consumption than Dutwa, averaging 185 kg/tonne
* Mineralisation appears similar to that at Dutwa
African Eagle Resources plc has received the final report on acid
leach tests on drill samples from its Zanzui nickel laterite project
in Tanzania. The tests were carried out by Mintek in South Africa.
The leach test results show promising nickel extractions, averaging
71% on a solid basis, with low sulphuric acid consumption of just 185
kilograms per tonne on average.
These results are comparable to the data from the Company's Dutwa
laterite deposit, where a favourable scoping study was recently
announced by the Company.
African Eagle's Managing Director Mark Parker comments:
"Whilst Dutwa remains our primary focus and the Company's efforts
will be directed towards completing the feasibility study now
commenced there, the Zanzui results are very favourable.
"Geological mapping, together with the results of the limited
drilling to date, suggest that whilst the nickel grades at Zanzui
appear to be marginally lower than at Dutwa the geographical extent
of the Zanzui complex is much greater and so potentially this
significant laterite is even larger than Dutwa.
The deposit's similarities to Dutwa show that we may have identified
a whole province of easily leachable nickel laterites in northern
Tanzania. This augurs well for the long term sustainability of
African Eagle's nickel activities in this promising region."
Adopting standard "bottle roll" testwork procedures, Mintek
researchers found that nickel extractions from Zanzui drill cuttings
varied between 55% and 87%, as shown in the table below, calculated
from the head and residue assays. Cobalt extractions ranged from 21%
to 75%.
Acid consumption was even less than for the Dutwa laterite samples,
ranging from 140 to 250 kilograms per tonne, with an average of 190.
Sample RC09 RC13 RC15 RC20 RC21 RC22 RC23 RC25 Average
Ni head grade % 1.29 0.79 0.80 1.16 0.99 1.11 1.42 1.01
Co head grade % 0.07 0.07 0.06 0.12 0.08 0.05 <0.05 0.07
Acid kg/t 250 170 180 200 200 140 160 180 185
Ni extraction 87% 60% 55% 74% 69% 76% 76% 67% 71%
Co extraction 33% 23% 36% 21% 27% 52% 75% 39% 38%
Technical terms
A glossary of technical terms used by African Eagle in this
announcement and other published material may be found at
www.africaneagle.co.uk/african-eagle-projects-glossary.html
For further information:
Mark Parker
Managing Director
African Eagle
+44 20 7248 6059
+44 77 5640 6899
Nicola Marrin
Seymour Pierce Limited, London
Nominated Adviser
+ 44 20 7107 8000
Charmane Russell
Russell & Associates, Johannesburg
+ 27 11 8803924
+27 82 8928052
Ed Portman / Gareth Tredway
Conduit PR, London
+44 20 7429 6607
+44 (0) 7733 363 501
About Zanzui
The Zanzui Complex, located approximately 70km south of African
Eagle's Dutwa nickel laterite deposit and 110km east of Mwanza, is a
strongly layered circular ultramafic intrusion covering an area of
approximately 140km². It was first investigated in the 1980s by the
United Nations Development Programme, which reported high geochemical
nickel anomalies and up to 1.24g/t palladium in diamond drill core
samples. Pan concentrates with up to 8.3g/t gold were recorded from
the Ndudumo River on the southern margin of the complex and there are
reports of platinum nuggets panned from streams around the complex.
African Eagle conducted geochemical surveys which also returned
anomalous values for nickel and cobalt as well as platinum and gold.
Ground and airborne magnetometer surveys completed by African Eagle
over the area clearly show the layering of the complex.
African Eagle completed a 30 hole reverse circulation scout drilling
programme for 1940m during the latter part of 2008 to investigate the
potential for nickel laterite. The drill results showed that parts of
the Complex have a nickel-enriched laterite blanket with grades and
thicknesses similar to those announced by the Company from its Dutwa
project. Intercepts included 42m at 1.05% nickel, 33m at 0.91%
nickel, 24m at 1.02% nickel and 18m at 1.34% nickel. Zanzui is
potentially another significant laterite deposit.
To determine the suitability of the Zanzui laterite for heap/tank
leaching, bottle roll acid leach tests were performed by Mintek
Laboratories in South Africa on eight samples of drill cuttings.
Around 8-10kg of material from each hole was dried, blended and
composited, with representative 0.5kg sub-samples of each taken for
the leach tests. Each sample was placed in a glass bottle with two
litres of dilute sulphuric acid and agitated continuously by rolling
on rotating rollers. Leaching was complete after approximately 30
days. Nickel extractions varied between 55% and 87%, and cobalt
extractions ranged from 21% to 75%, calculated from the head and
residue assays. Acid consumption ranged from 140 to 250 kilograms per
tonne, with an average of 190, even less than for the Dutwa laterite
samples.
About African Eagle
African Eagle is a diversified mineral exploration and development
company operating in eastern and central Africa. The Company's
principal advanced project is the Dutwa nickel laterite discovery in
Tanzania, where the Company announced results of a positive scoping
study in July 2009, which indicated that Dutwa, if it were in
production today, would be profitable. African Eagle is also a
partner in the Mkushi Copper Mines project in Zambia, for which a
draft Feasibility Study was completed in Q4 2008.
African Eagle has also defined a gold resource estimated at half a
million ounces at the Miyabi gold project in Tanzania, and is
evaluating a second promising nickel laterite deposit which it
recently discovered in Tanzania. The Company holds a well-balanced
portfolio of promising earlier stage gold and base metal projects,
including the Ndola and Mokambo projects in the Zambian Copperbelt.
Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, the sites of African Eagle's
projects, are all countries which have highly prospective geology,
relatively low above-ground risks and track records of successful
major investments in the metals and minerals industries.
African Eagle specialises in project generation and exploration. To
take its discoveries into production, it seeks to sign up industry
partners with records of successful mine development. These joint
ventures and, in time, the revenue from advanced projects, will
finance future exploration and new discoveries.
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