Modern Mining November 2016

MINING News

Galane identifies potential extension of Tau orebody

Galane Gold, listed on the TSX-V, has announced that prospect drives at its Tau underground mine, part of its Mupane operation near Francistown in Botswana, have led to the discovery of the potential extension of the Tau orebody at depth. As part of the company’s recent review of historical exploration data, anomalous mineral intersections were observed as they were structurally displaced from the main Tau orebody and sub-outcropping beyond the interpreted Western dyke limit of the orebody. A prospect drive was mined at the 820RL level (170 m below surface) to investigate the anomalous min- eral intersection, and a mineralised zone (C Reef) was intersected. Since the first intersection of the C Reef, a total 265 m of on-reef development has been completed on three consecutive lev- els to determine the strike extent of the reef. At 820RL, the strike extent was found to be 60 m; at 800RL, the strike extent increased significantly to 135m; and, at 780RL, Galane is currently mining along strike and a total of 70 m of strike has been exposed. On the 820 and 800 levels, the C Reef widths varied along strike from a minimum of approximately 2 m up to a maximum of 7 m; from the development channel sam- pling, the intersected grade on the 820 level was 4,78 g/t and on the 800RL level 2,51 g/t. At 780RL, the intersected grade is 3,66 g/t for the 70 m of exposed strike length. Further to this, at 780RL the C Reef has also widened significantly to a width of approximately 15 m.

Galane has discovered a potential extension of the Tau orebody at depth.

Galane Gold CEO Nick Brodie com- mented: “ This could prove to be a significant discovery and of potential importance for the long term future of Mupane once more studies and economic analysis can occur and be reported on. We had planned to start looking for the poten- tial extension of Tau at depth in 2017 and so this was a positive surprise to intersect the potential extension so early and there- fore be in a position to incorporate it into our current mining plan. “If through further exploration and analysis we confirm that this is the exten- sion of the Tau orebody at depth, it will be a further vindication of management’s decision over two years ago to commence the underground operation.”  Peak’s Managing Director, Darren Townsend, commented that the company was pleased to have completed this final milestone before completion of the proj- ect Bankable Feasibility Study, which is expected in early 2017. “The completion of the leach recovery pilot plant unequivocally demonstrates Peak’s enviable advantage of having favour- able mineralogy at Ngualla which is capable of delivering a product suite that is aligned to the high demand and value magnet metal market,” he said. “We are confident that – with our pro- cessing flowsheet confirmed as both technically feasible and deliverable at low operating and capital costs compared to our industry peers – the Ngualla project is on track for near-term development.” 

To date, a total of 19 380 tonnes of ore has been extracted from the C Reef hori- zon at an average mined grade of 3,44 g/t. The ore mineralisation characteristics of the C Reef are similar to those of the main Tau orebody, being a ‘disseminated style’ of mineralisation in well-bedded, silici- fied quartz-rich parts of the graphitic iron formation. An exploration programme is being planned to start in 2017 to investigate if there is a down dip and the possible extent of the C Reef strike beyond the current mined area within the active underground working areas. There has yet to be sufficient exploration on the C Reef to extrapolate that the C Reef extends beyond the current mined area. developed by Peak’s metallurgical team specifically for the low carbonate and low phosphate bastnaesite mineralisation pres- ent at Ngualla, was completed at ANSTO Minerals’dedicated piloting facility at Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia. The pilot plant delivered high recoveries (greater than 90 %) of the target magnet metals neodymium and praseodymium. The validation of the leach recovery process follows the earlier validation of the beneficiation and separation processes (both of which were operated to pilot plant phase) and allows Peak to demonstrate a clear and viable processing pathway from Run-of-Mine ore to the production of sale- able rare earth products.

Final stage of Ngualla project flowsheet confirmed Australia’s Peak Resources Limited has announced the successful completion of the leach recovery pilot plant, a key mile- stone in enabling its Ngualla project to become a low operating and capital cost mine, capable of producing high value, high demand rare earths for use in the magnet metal market.

Ngualla is located in southern Tanzania, 147 km from the city of Mbeya on the edge of the East African Rift Valley. The project is centered on the Ngualla Carbonatite. Peak announced a maiden mineral resource for Ngualla in February 2012, which ranked it as the fifth largest rare earth deposit in the western world. Testing of the leach recovery process,

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