REG - Thor Mining PLC - Commencement of Drilling - Bonya Tungsten

Thor EnergyAnnouncement

16/04/2019 07:05

RNS Number : 3115W
Thor Mining PLC
16 April 2019
 


16 April 2019
 
COMMENCEMENT OF DRILLING - BONYA TUNGSTEN
 
The Board of Thor Mining Plc ("Thor") (AIM, ASX: THR) is pleased to announce that drilling at the Bonya tungsten deposits adjacent Molyhil, in the Northern Territory of Australia, has commenced.
The Bonya project is held in joint venture with Arafura Resources Limited (ASX: "ARU"), with both parties contributing to the cost of the program in proportion to their project equity (THR 40% : ARU 60%).
 
Highlights:
 
·   Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program of approximately 2,500metres ;
·   Targets scheduled for drill testing comprise Samarkand, Jericho, White Violet, and Tashkent deposits;
·   Costeans (sampling trenches) excavated at surface on the Marrakesh and Tashkent deposits;
·   Each deposit has outcropping tungsten at surface, ensuring the drilling is into, or below, previously known mineralisation;
·   Drilling program expected to take approximately two weeks, with updates expected on drilling progress, preliminary on-site XRF analysis, followed by formal laboratory assays.
 
Mick Billing, Executive Chairman, commented: "We are very hopeful of positive results from our first drilling and costeaning program on the Bonya tungsten deposits."
"The 13 outcropping tungsten deposits at Bonya, several of which have historical mine workings, have the potential to add considerably to the life, scale, and economic outcomes of the Company's flagship Molyhil project nearby."
"We hope to be able to provide regular updates of progress, including provisional XRF analysis, during the program."
"Despite the licence area being part of a known tungsten "province", it has had no tungsten drilling since the 1970's, and we are very excited at the commencement of this program, and the potential it brings.
 
Investors wishing to review a diagram outlining the deposits at Bonya may view this on the Company's website via the following link:
http://thormining.com/-/thor/lib/images/maps/15-001-1B%20Bonya%20Exploration%20Targets.jpg
 
Further Information
The program will comprise in the order of 2,500 metres of drilling by Reverse Circulation (RC) method on Samarkand, Jericho, White Violet, and Tashkent deposits, and approximately 200 metres of trench sampling across each of the Marrakesh and Tashkent deposits.
The Jericho deposit, in particular, has been mined historically, with a surface stockpile estimated at several hundred tonnes of scheelite ore at surface adjacent the deposit.
It is anticipated that the program will be completed within two weeks of commencement with progressive provisional XRF results, followed laboratory assay results after a further four weeks.
The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
 
Enquiries:




Mick Billing


+61 (8) 7324 1935


Thor Mining PLC


Executive Chairman




Ray Ridge


+61 (8) 7324 1935


Thor Mining PLC


CFO/Company
Secretary




Colin Aaronson/
Richard Tonthat/ Ben Roberts


+44 (0) 207 383 5100
 


Grant Thornton UK LLP
 


Nominated Adviser




Nick Emerson


+44 (0) 1483 413 500


SI Capital Ltd


Joint Broker




David Hignell / Rob Rees 


+44 (0) 20 3470 0470


SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP


Joint Broker




Tim Blythe/ Camilla Horsfall


+44 (0) 207 138 3222


Blytheweigh


Financial PR




 
Competent Person's Report
The information in this report that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Richard Bradey, who holds a BSc in applied geology and an MSc in natural resource management and who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Bradey is an employee of Thor Mining PLC. He has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking 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'.  Richard Bradey consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
 
 
Updates on the Company's activities are regularly posted on Thor's website www.thormining.com, which includes a facility to register to receive these updates by email, and on the Company's twitter page @ThorMining.
 
About Thor Mining PLC
Thor Mining PLC (AIM, ASX: THR) is a resources company quoted on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange and on ASX in Australia.
Thor holds 100% of the advanced Molyhil tungsten project in the Northern Territory of Australia, for which an updated feasibility study in August 2018¹ suggested attractive returns.
Adjacent Molyhil, at Bonya, Thor holds a 40% interest in deposits of tungsten, copper, and vanadium, including an Inferred resource for the Bonya copper deposit².
Thor also holds 100% of the Pilot Mountain tungsten project in Nevada USA which has a JORC 2012 Indicated and Inferred Resources Estimate³ on 2 of the 4 known deposits.  The US Department of the Interior has confirmed that tungsten, the primary resource mineral at Pilot Mountain, has been included in the final list of Critical Minerals 2018.
Thor is also acquiring up to a 60% interest Australian copper development company Environmental Copper Recovery SA Pty Ltd, which in turn holds rights to earn up to a 75% interest in the mineral rights and claims over the resource⁴ on the portion of the historic Kapunda copper mine in South Australia recoverable by way of in situ recovery. 
Thor has an interest in Hawkstone Mining Limited, an Australian ASX listed company with a 100% Interest in a Lithium project in Arizona, USA.
Finally, Thor also holds a production royalty entitlement from the Spring Hill Gold project⁵ of:
•  A$6 per ounce of gold produced from the Spring Hill tenements where the gold produced is sold for up to A$1,500 per ounce; and
•  A$14 per ounce of gold produced from the Spring Hill tenements where the gold produced is sold for amounts over A$1,500 per ounce.
 
Notes
¹ Refer ASX and AIM announcement of 23 August 2018
² Refer ASX and AIM announcement of 26 November 2018
³ Refer AIM announcement of 13 December 2018 and ASX announcement of 14 December 2018
⁴ Refer AIM announcement of 10 February 2016 and ASX announcement of 12 February 2018
⁵ Refer AIM announcement of 26 February 2016 and ASX announcement of 29 February 2016




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