4 November
2024
Tertiary Minerals plc
("Tertiary" or the "Company")
Mukai Copper Project -
Commencement of Drilling
The Company is pleased to advise
that First Quantum Minerals Limited ("First Quantum") has commenced
drilling at the Mukai Copper Project in Zambia following the
receipt of all necessary consents.
Highlights
·
The Company has received approval from the
Department of Forestry to conduct further mineral exploration,
including drilling, in the Licence area (the "Licence").
·
Consent has also been granted by the leadership of
local tribal group, the Musele Royal Establishment ("Musele
Chiefdom"), to conduct mineral exploration on the
Licence
·
Phase 1 drill programme, now underway, will
comprise up to 6 diamond drill holes, with drilling depths ranging
between 350 and 400m.
·
The drill programme will test beneath the large
soil anomaly defined by Tertiary in 2023 which is contiguous with
First Quantum's Tirosa Copper Prospect on the adjoining mining
licence.
·
Under the Company's agreement with First Quantum,
First Quantum must define a minimum resource of 80,000 tonnes of
copper before it can earn an interest in the Licence.
The Licence lies adjacent to First
Quantum's Trident Project which comprises various mining licences
encompassing the producing Sentinel Copper Mine and the recently
developed Enterprise Nickel Mine. The Sentinel processing plant has
a processing capacity of 55 million tonnes of copper ore per
year.
Patrick Cheetham, Executive
Chairman of Tertiary Minerals plc said:
"I
am delighted to announce the start of drilling on the Mukai
Project. This follows a period of intense consultation and work
with the Musele Chiefdom and we are grateful for their engagement
in this process. I would also like to thank the Department of
Forestry for expediting the approval process. We have worked
closely with First Quantum throughout this process and are
delighted that First Quantum has wasted no time in commencing
drilling now that the approvals are in place.
"As a Company, we are on course for participation in three
drilling programmes in Zambia and also at our Brunton Pass Project
in Nevada, USA. I look forward to keeping shareholders updated as
the results become available."
Further Information:
Tertiary Minerals plc:
|
Patrick Cheetham, Executive
Chairman
|
+44 (0) 1625 838
679
|
SP
Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Nominated Adviser and Broker
|
Richard Morrison
|
+44 (0) 203 470 0470
|
Caroline Rowe
|
|
Peterhouse Capital Limited
Joint Broker
|
Lucy Williams
|
+ 44 (0) 207 469 0930
|
Duncan Vasey
|
|
Market Abuse Regulation
The information contained within
this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside
information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU)
No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ('MAR'). Upon the publication
of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ('RIS'),
this inside information is now considered to be in the public
domain.
Detailed Information
The Mukai Copper Project is
comprised of Exploration Licence 27066-HQ-LEL (the "Licence") held
by the Company's local partner, Mwashia Resources Limited
("Mwashia"). The Licence renewal has been approved for an
additional three years and is awaiting transfer to Copernicus
Minerals Limited ("Copernicus"). Further details are given in the
Company's news release of 6 June 2024.
The Company's exploration at Mukai
in 2023 resulted in the identification of a substantial
copper-in-soil anomaly on the Licence as described in the Company's
news release of 12 September 2023. This soil anomaly occurs
along strike from copper mineralisation that has been identified in
past drill programmes at First Quantum's Tirosa Prospect, on its
adjoining Trident Project area, which encompasses the Sentinel
Copper and Enterprise Nickel mines.
The Sentinel Mine was developed with
a total investment of over US$2.1 billion and is expected to
produce around 235,000 tonnes of copper metal this year. The
Enterprise Nickel mine is newly opened and expects to produce
around 20,000 tonnes of nickel in 2024. Both deposits are
sediment-hosted and occur in sedimentary basins formed on and
around the Kabompo Dome. A similarly located basin hosts the Tirosa
Prospect and continues into the Licence.
As announced on 7 August 2024,
Copernicus and First Quantum have signed a Binding Letter of
Agreement ("BLA") allowing First Quantum to evaluate and earn an
interest in the Licence by completing a minimum exploration
expenditure of US$1,500,000 during a 24-month due diligence period
and by defining a minimum resource of 80,000 tonnes of contained
copper. The BLA also sets out a number of milestone payments by
First Quantum to Copernicus upon completion of the defined
phases.
The Licence lies within the Musele
Royal Establishment ("Musele Chiefdom") and the Bushingwe Forest.
Prior to commencement of First Quantum's exploration operations at
the Mukai Project, certain conditions precedent required a Letter
of Consent from Musele Chiefdom and approval from the Department of
Forestry to access the Licence.
In late August 2024, a series of
meetings were held at the Department of Forestry's Solwezi District
Office and the Lusaka headquarters to outline the proposed work
programmes resulting in the submission of a formal application
which has now been approved.
In order to gain a Letter of Consent
from the Musele Chiefdom, the Company met with Senior Chief Musele
in September 2024 and as such were the first company to meet the
Senior Chief Musele since the installation ceremony in July 2024.
The Company hosted a community event where a presentation was made
to the Musele Chiefdom to introduce the Company, the proposed
exploration operations and address any concerns.
A Letter of Consent has now been
received from the Musele Chiefdom and, upon notification, First
Quantum initiated drill preparation with the intention of
completing a Phase 1 diamond drill programme. Phase 1 of the drill
programme will comprise up to 6 diamond drill holes to depths
ranging between 350m and 400m on two fence lines. Drilling is now
underway and will continue for so long as weather conditions permit
following the onset of the wet season in Zambia.
Notes:
1.
The information in this release has been compiled and reviewed by
Mr. Patrick Cheetham (MIMMM, MAusIMM) who is a qualified person for
the purposes of the AIM Note for Mining and Oil & Gas
Companies. Mr. Cheetham is a Member of the Institute of Materials,
Minerals & Mining and also a member of the Australasian
Institute of Mining & Metallurgy.
2.
The news release may contain certain statements and expressions of
belief, expectation or opinion which are forward looking
statements, and which relate, inter alia, to the Company's proposed
strategy, plans and objectives or to the expectations or intentions
of the Company's directors. Such forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors
beyond the control of the Company that could cause the actual
performance or achievements of the Company to be materially
different from such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you
should not rely on any forward-looking statements and save as
required by the AIM Rules for Companies or by law, the Company does
not accept any obligation to disseminate any updates or revisions
to such forward-looking statements.