Reservoir Minerals Reports Initial Resource Estimate for the High
Sulphidation Epithermal Zone of Mineralisation at Cukaru Peki in
Serbia
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 27, 2014) -
Reservoir Minerals Inc.
(TSX-VENTURE:RMC)(PINKSHEETS:RVRLF)(BERLIN:9RE) ("Reservoir" or the
"Company") is pleased to report the initial resource estimate for
the High Sulphidation Epithermal ("HSE") zone of mineralisation
within the Cukaru Peki copper-gold deposit, Brestovac-Metovnica
Exploration Permit, Serbia. The Cukaru Peki copper-gold deposit
forms part of the Timok Project, which is a joint venture between
Reservoir and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold ("Freeport"). See
"The Timok Project", below.
SRK Consulting (UK) Limited ("SRK"), an independent mining and
geological consulting company, estimated the National Instrument
43-101 compliant Inferred Resource for the HSE zone to be 65.3
million tonnes (Mt) at an average grade of 2.6% copper and 1.5
grams per tonne (g/t) gold, or 3.5% copper-equivalent (CuEq% =
Cu% + (Au g/t x 0.6), containing 1.7 million tonnes (3.8
billion pounds) copper and 3.1 million ounces gold or 2.3 million
tonnes (5.1 billion pounds) copper-equivalent. The Inferred
Resource estimate is reported above a 1% CuEq cut-off grade.
The Inferred Resource includes the high-grade massive sulphide
(HGMS) domain containing an estimated 6.8 million tonnes at an
average grade of 9.6% copper and 5.9 g/t gold (13.1% CuEq) at a 1%
CuEq cut-off, and a significant proportion of the semi-massive
sulphide (SMS) domain containing 14.0 million tonnes at an average
grade of 3.2% copper and 2.7 g/t gold (4.8% CuEq) at a 3% CuEq
cut-off grade.
The underlying porphyry type mineralisation has not been
modelled at this time due to the lack of drill data and geometrical
understanding, and is not included in the resource estimate.
A summary of the Cukaru Peki Resource Estimate is presented in
Table 1. The "43.101 Technical Report on a Mineral Resource
Estimate on the Cukaru Peki deposit, Brestovac-Metovnica
Exploration Permit, Serbia, January 2014" (the "Technical Report")
will be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Company web site
www.reservoirminerals.com.
Table 1: CIM Compliant Mineral Resource Statement as at November
27, 2013 for the Cukaru Peki HSE Deposit
Category |
Zone |
Grade Category %CUEQ |
Million Tonnes (Mt) |
Copper |
Gold |
Arsenic |
Copper Equivalent |
% Cu |
Metal (Cu Mt) |
Au g/t |
Metal (Au Moz) |
% As |
%CuEQ |
Inferred |
HGMS |
>10.0 |
4.5 |
11.2 |
0.5 |
7.4 |
1.1 |
0.2 |
15.7 |
1.0-10.0 |
2.3 |
6.5 |
0.2 |
3.1 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
8.3 |
SMS |
>3.0 |
14.0 |
3.2 |
0.4 |
2.7 |
1.2 |
0.2 |
4.8 |
1.0-3.0 |
44.5 |
1.3 |
0.6 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
1.6 |
Sub Total HGMS >1.0 |
6.8 |
9.6 |
0.7 |
5.9 |
1.3 |
0.2 |
13.1 |
Sub Total SMS >1.0 |
58.5 |
1.8 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
1.8 |
0.1 |
2.3 |
Grand Total >1.0 |
65.3 |
2.6 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
3.1 |
0.1 |
3.5 |
1. |
SRK
based reporting criteria for underground Resources on the following
parameters: |
|
a. A
copper price of USD 6,500/t of copper, and a gold price of USD
1,300/oz. |
|
b.
Metallurgical recovery assumptions of 90% for copper and 75% for
gold. |
|
c.
Operating costs of USD 46 per tonne of ore. |
2. |
The
cut-off grade used by SRK for the estimate is 1.0% CuEq. |
3. |
Copper equivalent formula used is as follows: CuEq = Cu% + (Au g/t
x 0.6). |
4. |
All
figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the
estimate. |
5. |
Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have
demonstrated economic viability. |
6. |
The
Mineral Resource is given on 100% basis, currently 45% is
attributable to Reservoir (refer to section "The Timok Project" in
this News Release). |
Dr. Simon Ingram, President and CEO of Reservoir Minerals Inc.,
commented: "The initial Mineral Resource estimate marks a
milestone on the discovery history of the Cukaru Peki copper-gold
deposit. SRK note the potential for further extensions to the HSE
mineralisation, and that continuing infill drilling will provide
additional confidence to the resource estimate. The extent of the
associated porphyry copper-gold mineralisation has not been
determined and remains an important target for further definition
drilling. Reconnaissance drilling elsewhere in the
Brestovac-Metovnica Exploration Permit continues to intersect
alteration and mineralisation that provides encouragement for
further discovery within the permit area. We believe that
the discovery at Cukaru Peki demonstrates the potential for
additional blind discoveries within the Timok Magmatic
Complex.
The Resource Estimate:
All drilling has been completed from surface. The drill holes
are plotted on sections oriented at 070°, each spaced approximately
100 m apart. The dips for inclined holes range from -50º to -75º,
with hole lengths typically over 1,000 m reaching a maximum of
2,160 m. The geological model of the mineralisation was created
from 26 drill holes that intersect the HSE mineralisation. Two
estimation domains were used: high-grade massive sulphide (HGMS)
and semi-massive sulphide (SMS). A structural model was developed
to understand the orientation and controls to the limits of the
mineralisation. The underlying porphyry was not modelled. The
geological interpretation used to generate the model for this
Mineral Resource estimate, whilst based on relatively few drill
holes, is considered by SRK to be fairly robust, though subject to
revision in the future.
Resource estimation parameters are summarised below:
- Assay and geological data available on or before the November
27, 2013 were included in this resource estimate.
- Sample preparation and analytical procedures are described in
the Company's previous news releases on the project and in the
Technical Report. Industry-standard levels of QAQC checks were
performed on assay data, including validation by umpire
laboratories.
- SRK created a block model with parent block dimensions of 50 x
50 x 30 m, with sub blocking to a minimum of 5.0 x 5.0 x 3.0 m in
the Datamineâ„¢ software.
- Samples were composited to 10 m lengths, resulting in an
average of 5 and 17 samples per intersection across the HGMS and
SMS domains respectively.
- High-grade capping was applied only for gold in the SMS domain
at 15 g/t gold. The spatial occurrence of the capped values was
visually verified to determine that they do not form discrete zones
that could be modelled separately.
- Specific gravity was determined on 552 drill core samples from
the HSE zone, out of a total of about 11,250 measurements on all
rock types. Based on the relationship between Fe% grade and
density, a regression formula was used to calculate density from
the Fe% grade in each block. Density values have an average of 3.4
g/cm3 in the HGMS and 2.7 g/cm3 in the SMS domains.
- Ordinary Kriging ("OK") was used for the grade estimation for
the HGMS and SMS domains for copper and gold. Inverse distance
weighting (IDW) was used for the grade estimation for iron and
arsenic, and for verification of the OK estimates for copper and
gold.
- Quantitative Kriging Neighbourhood Analysis ("QKNA") was
undertaken to test the sensitivity and define the optimum sample
selection parameters to be used in the grade estimation. A minimum
of 10 and maximum of 30 sample composites from a minimum of two
drill holes were used to estimate the HGMS and SMS blocks.
The Mineral Resource is classified by SRK as Inferred and is
defined as the blocks in which mineralisation represents reasonable
strike continuity and down-dip extensions within 100 m of sample
data. SRK considers that a cut-off grade of >1.0% CuEq is
suitable for reporting Mineral Resources for what is likely to be
an underground project. Parameters used to define the cut-off grade
are included the footnotes to Table 1.
The Mineral Resources have been estimated in conformity with
generally accepted CIM "Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral
Reserves Best Practices" guidelines and are reported in accordance
with the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument
43-101. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have
demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or
any part of the Mineral Resource will be converted into Mineral
Reserve.
Our partner, Freeport, did not participate in completion of this
resource estimate and is subject to disclosure requirements that
are different than Reservoir's disclosure requirements.
Accordingly, future disclosures concerning the Cukaru Peki deposit
and the Timok Project by our partner Freeport may contain different
or additional information as required by those laws, regulations
and requirements.
SRK Comments:
The following are summarised from the comments made by SRK in
their Technical Report:
- HSE mineralisation currently remains open towards the north,
with the potential for the portions of the geological model that
are currently unclassified (due mainly to lack of drilling) to be
defined as additional Resources with step out drilling.
- SRK concurs with Reservoir that there is good potential to
define a contiguous proportion of the HGMS that may have
sufficiently high grade to be considered as Direct Shipping Ore
("DSO"), however infill drilling is required to confirm this
opportunity.
- Given the similarities with the Bor mine district immediately
to the north, where there are multiple discrete HSE ore bodies
within a 2 km long area, there is potential for further exploration
at Cukaru Peki to find additional distinct zones of
mineralisation.
- SRK notes the potential upside of the underlying lower grade
porphyry mineralisation, which has currently been excluded from the
resource estimate, due to the lack of geological understanding for
the current level of data. The lateral and vertical extent of
porphyry remains to be fully defined.
- Additional exploration potential is suggested by intersections
of local HSE copper mineralisation and patchy Pb-Zn mineralisation
are recorded in three holes approximately 2 km south of Cukaru
Peki.
SRK Recommendations:
SRK considers the next stages of work should comprise:
- A basic conceptual evaluation of the Cukaru Peki HSE deposit in
terms of an underground mine and concentrator facility;
- A scoping study which provides detailed work programmes
required to achieve Mineral Reserves, an environmental and social
assessment and a pre-feasibility study (PFS);
- Testing of extensions to the deposit by geophysics and diamond
drilling; and
- Infill drilling as necessary to upgrade portions of the HSE
deposit to Indicated Mineral Resources, to underpin a subsequent
PFS.
- In order to achieve these next steps, SRK recommends an
approximate expenditure of USD 20 million.
- Reservoir note that future work will be determined in
accordance with the provisions of Reservoir's joint venture with
Freeport as discussed under "The Timok Project".
The Timok Project:
The Timok Project comprises the Jasikovo-Durlan Potok,
Brestovac-Metovnica and Leskovo Exploration Permits that are held
by Rakita d.o.o., a Serbian company in which Freeport and Reservoir
hold 55% and 45% indirect ownership interests respectively. The
Exploration Permits cover an area of 245 square kilometres in the
highly prospective Timok Magmatic Complex, eastern Serbia, which
includes the world-class Bor-Majdanpek mining and smelting complex
with reported historical production of 6 million tonnes of copper
and 300 tonnes of gold (9.65 million ounces gold) (BRGM publication
BRGM/RC-51448-FR, 2002).
Freeport previously exercised the Earn-In Option to acquire a
55% equity interest in the Timok Project in Serbia and is now the
operator of the Timok Project. Freeport has given notice to
Reservoir (Refer to the news release of August 16, 2012) that it
has elected to sole fund expenditures on or for the benefit of the
project until the completion and delivery to Reservoir of a
feasibility study, subject to its right to cease such funding at
any time. The feasibility study must be in such form as is normally
required by substantial, internationally recognized financial
institutions for the purpose of deciding whether or not to loan
funds for the development of mineral deposits. If Freeport
completes the feasibility study, Freeport will indirectly own 75%
and Reservoir 25% of the Timok Project.
Qualified Person:
Mr. Martin Pittuck, C.Eng., MIMMM, is a Qualified Person under
National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators and is an
independent consultant to the Company, he co-authored the Technical
Report, signed off on the Mineral Resource Statement and approved
the technical disclosure in this release.
Dr. Duncan Large, Chartered Engineer (UK) and Eur. Geol., a
Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities
Administrators and a consultant to the Company, approved the
technical disclosure in this release and has verified the data
disclosed.
About the Company:
Reservoir Minerals Inc. is an international mineral exploration
and development company run by an experienced technical and
management team, with a portfolio of precious and base metal
exploration properties in Europe and Africa. The Company operates
an exploration partnership business model to leverage its expertise
through to discovery.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry
Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Reservoir Minerals Inc.Chris MacIntyreVP Corporate
Development+1.416.703.0010chris@reservoirminerals.comwww.reservoirminerals.com
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