16 June 2016
Harvest Minerals Limited
("Harvest" or the "Company")
INDEPENDENT JORC COMPLIANT RESOURCE ESTIMATE COMPLETE FOR THE MANDACARU PHOSPHATE PROJECT
Harvest Minerals Limited (ASX:HMI, AIM:HMI) is pleased to announce that an independent JORC (2012) compliant, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate has been completed for the Company's 100% owned Mandacaru Phosphate Project ("Project") in Ceará State, Brazil.
Highlights
· The Project contains a JORC (2012) compliant total resource of 4.38Mt @ 4.55% P2O5, which includes an Indicated resource of 1.47Mt @ 5.30% P2O5 and an Inferred resource of 2.91Mt @ 4.18% P2O5.
· The Project has an estimated additional exploration potential of 4Mt of phosphate ore with similar grades, from the extension of the estimated mineralized layers, to be proven up by further exploration assessment.
· Associated uranium ("U") and thorium ("Th") grades are lower than 400 ppm.
· This resource estimate was completed by GE21 Consultoria Mineral ("GE21"), a newly established firm comprised of the same team who carried out the resource estimate at the Sergi Project on behalf of Coffey Mining.
Separately, the Company is pleased to report that the development of the Arapua project is on track and the Company expects to shortly announce a resource associated with its drilling programme conducted in Q1, 2016. Additionally, the Company is working with GE21 in the preparation of a scoping study. The Company anticipates substantial forward movement in relation to Arapua during Q3, 2016.
Commenting on the resource estimate, Harvest Executive Chairman, Brian McMaster stated:
"Completion of this resource estimate, within months of the acquiring the asset in December 2015, demonstrates Harvest's ability to quickly and substantially add value to projects at minimal cost. With Arapua, Sergi, Capella and now Mandacaru, we are steadily building a portfolio of phosphate and potash assets that will enable us to realise our goal of becoming a significant South American fertilizer company. Whilst we continue to acquire and develop other projects, which meet our capital and cost requirements, the short term focus remains on the development of the Arapua Phosphate Project which is progressing according to the Company's expectations."
Enquiries:
Harvest Minerals Limited |
Brian McMaster, Chairman |
Tel: +61 8 9200 1847 |
Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated & Financial Adviser) |
Rory Murphy James Spinney Ritchie Balmer |
Tel: +44 20 7409 3494 |
Mirabaud Securities LLP (Broker) Buchanan (Financial PR) |
Rory Scott Bobby Morse Anna Michniewicz |
Tel: + 44 20 7878 3360 Tel: +44 20 7466 5000 |
Mandacaru Project Background
Harvest acquired the Mandacaru project, in December 2015 and the Project now comprises three exploration licences covering a total area of 5,908.67 hectares.
Some exploration work, including a ground radiometric survey, mapping, surface rock sampling, trenching and a 2,141 metre diamond drilling programme over 32 holes, was carried out by the asset's former owner, B&A Mineração Ltda, in 2013.
Harvest acquired this data in return for a 2% Net Smelter Royalty from future production (capped at an aggregate amount of US$1 million).
Geological Model
At Mandacaru, the phosphate mineralisation occurs as colophanite, which is hosted in structurally controlled hydrothermal breccias, calcissilicated and gneissic rocks. Following the conversion of the license applications into full exploration licenses earlier this year, the Company's team in Brazil reprocessed the historic data.
Together with independent consultants GE21, the Company constructed a geological model through the interpretation of vertical sections based on the drill holes, using lines and polygons to generate solids (wireframes). In total, four mineralized layers were modeled for Mandacaru target (Figure 01).
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/3124B_1-2016-6-15.pdf
The shape of the geological models presents flat-lying phosphate mineralized bodies gently dipping to the WNW.
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/3124B_1-2016-6-15.pdf
Mineral Resource
Block models were developed for each of the four mineralized layers (Figure 03) and the resource was estimated using Ordinary Kriging (OK) with the results validated with a comparative Nearest Neighbor estimation (NM).
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/3124B_1-2016-6-15.pdf
A 2.0% P2O5 cut-off grade was applied to the resource estimate which was categorized as Indicated and Inferred with a total global resource of 4.38Mt @ 4.55% P2O5 (Table 01).
The total U and Th grades for the global resources are under 400 ppm.
Table 01 - Mandacaru Target - Mineral Resources.
Block Model: 25m x 25m x 6m (12.5m x 12.5m x 3m) - 2.0% P2O5 cutoff grade applied |
Resource |
Layer |
Tonnage (Mt) |
P2O5% |
CaO% |
U ppm |
Th ppm |
Indicated |
3 |
1.47 |
5.30 |
15.88 |
265.23 |
57.81 |
|
Inferred |
1 |
0.44 |
6.32 |
22.16 |
659.20 |
32.47 |
2 |
0.05 |
4.66 |
8.11 |
128.37 |
38.67 |
3 |
1.50 |
4.34 |
17.23 |
199.32 |
45.12 |
4 |
0.92 |
2.87 |
9.47 |
328.57 |
49.59 |
Total Inferred |
2.91 |
4.18 |
15.36 |
308.51 |
44.54 |
|
Total Indicated + Inferred |
4.38 |
4.55 |
15.53 |
293.97 |
48.97 |
GE21 estimates that there is an additional potential of 4Mt of ore for exploration with similar P2O5 grades to the current resource. The additional potential is related to the extension of the mineralized layers at Mandacaru target and should be confirmed by further exploration works.
COMPETENT PERSON STATEMENT
The information in this statement that relates to the Mineral Resource and Exploration Target is based on information compiled by Mr. Bernardo H C Viana who is a geologist and full time director and owner of GE21 and is registered as Competent Person in the AIG (Australian Institute of Geoscientists). Mr. Bernardo Viana has sufficient relevant experience to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that is being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr. Viana also meets the requirements of a qualified person under the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies and consents to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. Mr. Viana accepts responsibility for the accuracy of the statements disclosed in this release.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
The Company's Exploration Target includes potential quantity and grade and is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define these mineral resources and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the determination of mineral resources.
The reader is cautioned that a Mineral Resource is an estimate only and not a precise and completely accurate calculation, being dependent on the interpretation of limited information on the location, shape, and continuity of the occurrence and on the available sampling results. Actual mineralisation can be more or less than estimated depending upon actual geological conditions. The Mineral Resource statement includes Inferred Mineral Resources. There is a low level of geological confidence associated with Inferred Mineral Resources and there can be no certainty that further exploration work will result in the determination of Indicated or Measured Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. No Mineral Reserves are being stated.