Significant Increase in Exploration Target at Kharmagtai
TORONTO, Nov. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xanadu Mines Ltd (ASX: XAM, TSX: XAM) (“Xanadu” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce it has upgraded the global copper and gold Exploration Target at its flagship Kharmagtai project, which is located in the south Gobi region of Mongolia (Figures 1 and 2). A new global Exploration Target has been developed to highlight the large-scale copper-gold potential of the Kharmagtai project. Additionally, an independent valuation (VALMIN) has been completed by SRK for the Kharmagtai Mining Lease (please see Appendix 1).
HIGHLIGHTSLarge-scale global copper-gold exploration target upgraded for Kharmagtai Project above and beyond 2018 Mineral Resource EstimateThe Exploration Target is based on 190 diamond drill and 73 reverse circulation drill holes completed since 2002 at Kharmagtai at five separate porphyry centres with over 77,808 metres of new diamond drilling completed by XanaduAdditional sulphide metallurgical work in final stages of completionCompelling vectors to a very large-scale system below the surface deposits uncoveredFurther drilling is planned to:
– Convert mineralisation within the Exploration Target into resources;
– Extend current high-grade mineralisation; and
– Test seven targets outside of the Exploration Target
Independent Valuation for the Kharmagtai Project completedXanadu’s Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andrew Stewart, said “We have always had a strong belief in the large-scale copper-gold potential of Kharmagtai. This Global Exploration Target outlines the areas we are aiming to convert to resources in the near to mid-term. Additionally, our geologists have highlighted a series of compelling geochemical and geophysical vectors which suggest mineralisaiton within this Exploration Target is just the tip of a much larger porphyry system. We know these systems exist in Mongolia as the giant Oyu Tolgoi is currently being mined some 120km to the south of Kharmagtai and we believe that Kharmagtai is a similar type of system. Additionally, we are in the final stages of completing metallurgical work for the three existing sulphide deposits, which is aimed at increasing the already good recovery assumptions made in the 2018 mineral resource upgrade. Finally, an independent valuation of the Kharmagtai project has been completed by independent consultants, SRK. We commissioned this valuation to highlight to the market the disparity between the company’s current perceived value and the Kharmagtai project’s potential value.Our long running objective is to develop Mongolia’s next large-scale copper gold deposit. Our current strategy of seeking high-return options via an oxide gold project is focused on providing the capital needed to advance that larger scale copper and gold project”.GLOBAL COPPER-GOLD EXPLORATION TARGET FOR KHARMAGTAIAn exploration target has been developed for the Kharmagtai lease with the aim of highlighting the large-scale copper-gold potential of the project. The recently released Mineral Resource Upgrade and Scoping Study (please see ASX releases dated 31 October 2018 and 11 April 2019) have demonstrated a robust and viable copper-gold project, but this work only included a small portion of the known mineralisation at Kharmagtai. This Exploration Target has been developed to demonstrate the upside potential of the Kharmagtai Mining Lease and show the areas which could potentially be added to the resource inventory in the near to mid-term.Five targets have been reviewed across the lease ranging from extensions to existing resources at Stockwork Hill, White Hill and Copper Hill to the recently discovered Zaraa and Golden Eagle deposits.The Exploration Target is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral Resource under the “Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, the JORC Code” (JORC 2004). The Exploration Target is not being reported as part of any Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve and the areas of mineralisation that have been reported in the 2018 Mineral Resource Upgrade have been removed from the exploration target area.Additionally, two styles of exploration target have been defined. Table 1 shows the exploration targets as a range define based on drill results and extensions of the 2018 Mineral Resource Upgrade only.Table 2 shows exploration targets as a range where corroborating geophysical and geological data at Zaraa highlight potential extensions to that target.Table 1: Kharmagtai copper-gold exploration targets – drill result and block model extension data only1* – Length of the exploration target is defined as a conservative maximum and minimum length estimation based off the distances over which drill intercepts are observed
2* – Width of the exploration targets is defined as a conservative maximum and minimum width estimation based off the distances over which drill intercepts are observed
3* – Height information is defined as a conservative maximum and minimum height estimation based off the distances over which drill intercepts are observed
4* – Density data is taken from drilling data and assumed to be the average rock density in the Kharmagtai dataset at grade ranges above 0.3% eCu (2.76 t/m3) and 0.5% eCu (2.78 t/m3)
5* – Tonnage range is estimated as a calculation of the maximum and minimum length, width and depth multiplied by the density.
6* – Grade range is taken directly from drill results
7* – Numbers are rounded to avoid the false impression of a level of accuracy which may have led to the misrepresentation that this Exploration Target is akin to a Resource Estimation.
8* – Metallurgical recovery information is built into the eCu calculation and therefore should not be applied in addition to the tonnages reported here
9* – A floor of 600m from surface has been applied to the 0.3% eCu cut-off target to represent a realistic maximum depth for a potential open cut
10* – cut off grades of 0.3%eCu have been used to represent potential open cut material and 0.5% eCu for underground material to match that used in the 2018 MRETable 2: Kharmagtai copper-gold exploration target – drill result with geophysical extensions1* – Length of the exploration target is defined as a conservative maximum and minimum length estimation based off the distances over which drill intercepts are observed and geological or geophysical characteristics associated with the mineralisation are observed
2* – Width of the exploration targets is defined as a conservative maximum and minimum width estimation based off the distances over which drill intercepts are observed and geological or geophysical characteristics associated with the mineralisation are observed
3* – Height information is defined as a conservative maximum and minimum height estimation based off the distances over which drill intercepts are observed and geological or geophysical characteristics associated with the mineralisation are observed.
4* – Density data is taken from drilling data and assumed to be the average rock density in the Kharmagtai dataset at grade ranges above 0.3 eCu (2.76 t/m3) and 0.5% eCu (2.78 t/m3)
5* – Tonnage range is estimated as a calculation of the maximum and minimum length, width and depth multiplied by the density.
6* – Grade range is taken directly from drill results and shown in Table 1
7* – The Exploration target from Table one is subtracted to give an extension to the Table one result
8* – Numbers are rounded to avoid the false impression of a level of accuracy which may have led to the misrepresentation that this Exploration Target is akin to a Resource Estimation.
9* – Metallurgical recovery information is built into the eCu calculation and therefore should not be applied in addition to the tonnages reported here
10* – cut off grades of 0.3% eCu have been used to represent potential open cut material and 0.5% eCu for underground material to match that used in the 2018 MREABOUT WHITE HILLWhite Hill represents the largest outcropping body of mineralisaiton at Kharmagtai. Mineralisaiton consists of disseminated copper sulphides associated with high-density quartz veining typical of a large porphyry system. The dimensions for the Exploration Target at White Hill are based off diamond drill holes with drill results over 0.3% eCu (Figure 3). Geological and structural analysis of the White Hill deposit over the past year has shown that the higher-grade mineralisaiton is associated with a combination of a dyke of monzodiorite (P2) and series of west-northwest dipping faults. It is believed these faults have helped channel mineralisaiton upwards where it has interacted with magnetite bearing quartz stockworks in and around the monzodiorite dyke resulting in the precipitation of copper and gold. This model significantly expands the area over which mineralisation could occur and suggests the White Hill system is significantly larger than previously thought. Geophysical data suggests that the White Hill deposit will join at depth with the Stockwork Hill Deposit.ABOUT STOCKWORK HILLStockwork Hill is the second largest zone of outcropping mineralisaiton at Kharmagtai. Mineralisaiton consists of a combination of high-grade stockworks and tourmaline breccias. Recently, the high-grade extensions to the deposit were discovered when an offset zone of gold-rich bornite mineralisaiton was drilled south of the main tourmaline breccia body. This work has shown that Stockwork Hill is linked at depth to a potentially much larger and higher grade bornite zone. Due to the variation in the style of mineralisation the geophysical signature of the deposit is not fully understood. The high-density stockwork zones respond in magnetics surveys but the tourmaline breccia appears to be magnetically destructive. Induced polarisation appears not to see the mineralisaiton as the sulphides are massive breccia infill and vein hosted rather than disseminated. The Exploration Target at Stockwork Hill was therefore only based on diamond drill results only (Figure 4). There is a strong magnetic anomaly that sits below Stockwork Hill to the southwest, suggesting the potential for a large high-density stockwork zone that may also link to White Hill.ABOUT COPPER HILLCopper Hill is the highest-grade zone of mineralisation at Kharmagtai and was discovered when a small but intense magnetic high was drilled early in Kharmagtai’s history. Mineralisation consists of very high-grade chalcopyrite veins overprinting an existing stockwork of quartz magnetite veins. In a scenario very similar to White Hill, mineralisaiton is associated with the confluence of a P2 monzodiorite dyke and west-northwest dipping faults (Figure 5). Beneath Copper Hill sits a large zone of high intensity magnetics which may represent the extensions to Copper Hill.ABOUT ZARAAZaraa was discovered in 2018 as a part of the undercover initiative. Mineralisation at Zaraa consists of chalcopyrite bearing quartz veins and chalcopyrite only veining associated with a series of P2 monzodiorite dykes. The Zaraa system has a very large 3DIP chargeability anomaly which sits above and surrounding the mineralisation (Figure 6). Due to the size of Zaraa and the limited amount of drilling a conservative approach has been taken to developing an Exploration Target with only drilling data having been used. However, should the zone of known mineralisation be extended using geophysical corroboration seen in the IP data a significantly larger Exploration Target would be appropriate (see Table 2 and Figure 7).ABOUT GOLDEN EAGLEGolden Eagle was discovered in 2017 as a part of the undercover initiative. Mineralisaiton at Golden Eagle consists of chalcopyrite bearing quartz-magnetite veins and disseminated chalcopyrite with free gold. Mineralisation at Golden Eagle broadly coincides with a large magnetic high relating to the magnetite content of the porphyry quartz veining. The Exploration Target at Golden Eagle has been based solely on drilling data (Figure 8).LARGE SCALE POTENTIAL OF THE KHARMAGTAI LEASEThe undercover initiative implemented in 2016 is still being followed up upon. There are large parts of the Kharmagtai Mining Lease which exhibit significant copper and gold geochemical anomalism (Figure 9) that require follow up drilling to test. The shallow open pit potential of the lease is still significant. Additionally, porphyry mineral systems form as copper and gold are concentrated through a series of vertically staged magma chambers. It is this characteristic that makes these systems so large. At Oyu Tolgoi, 120km south of Kharmagtai the main mineral deposit does not start until >600m vertically from surface and extends to some 2400m below surface to where drilling stopped.At Kharmagtai there are a set of compelling vectors that suggest the mineralisation seen at surface is just the top of a much larger system. The first of these vectors is the gravity data. When the low frequency gravity data is reviewed a very large, higher density body is seen below the surface mineralisaiton (Figure 10). This body could represent another, larger staging chamber, from which the currently drilled mineralisation may have evacuated. Another compelling feature are the zones of high magnetics below Stockwork Hill, White Hill and Copper Hill. These may represent zones of high-density quartz-magnetite-chalcopyrite-bornite veining (Figures 11, 12 and 13). Additionally, porphyry systems are usually zoned chemically. Molybdenum often forms a halo above and around the tops of copper gold porphyry systems. At Kharmagtai this zonation is seen, most clearly at White Hill, however, another halo of molybdenum enrichment can be cross cutting the base of White Hill and Zaraa, strongly suggesting a larger copper gold system lies beneath the surface mineralisaiton (Figure 14). When combined, these vectors paint the picture of a giant porphyry system below the existing mineralisation.PROGRAM REQUIRED TO CONVERT EXPLORATION TARGETS TO RESOURCES AND DISCOVER LARGE-SCALE POTENTIALA geophysical and drill program has been designed and costed to convert the above Exploration Targets into inferred Mineral Resources and discover the hypothesised very large-scale copper gold porphyry system beneath the existing resources.The first phase of exploration would consist of a tenement wide seismic survey conducted in parallel with a similar spaced deep seeing magnetotellurics (MT) program. Seismic would be used to define the fault architecture of the entire mining lease to ensure the drill targeting is as accurate as possible. A magnetotellurics program would be conducted to identify large zones of sulphide mineralisation located beneath the structures highlighted by the seismic survey. This program has been costed at between $300 to $600K depending on the geophysical contractor used and would form the basis of the drill targeting for the Oyu Tolgoi sized system at Kharmagtai.Drill holes have been planned for Stockwork Hill, Copper Hill, Zaraa and elsewhere within the tenement to convert the above exploration target into an inferred mineral resources. Costing for this program is summarised in Table 3 below).INDEDENDENT VALUATION OF THE KHARMAGTAI PROJECT BY SRK CONSULTINGAn independent valuation of the Kharmagtai Property has been conducted by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd) (SRK) in accordance to the VALMIN Code (2015). The objective of SRK’s report was to demonstrate the difference between the current company market valuation and a conservative and independent expert valuation of one of the projects within Xanadu’s portfolio. This valuation can be found in Appendix 1.Table 3: Indicative drill costsPhotos accompanying this announcement are available at:https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d54dc012-f314-4346-b393-e498eb33506ehttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/681cf61a-e1f8-4c3b-b940-8437db4f00f5https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e5134b81-c22b-44d1-8909-62e6d54bec02https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a07cbd9-afda-4726-9518-594a0ac21f38https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e9ad1e76-a208-4d1c-8cf5-74073f598417https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/078f6e1a-5c56-4f8e-b0be-2e2211941315https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ec1017c7-65fd-4ea1-950b-65e1b1497127https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/590c39d7-0ac8-404f-8213-e85a2b421f01https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f67f0d29-e880-4b23-9ca1-020a81015eedhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e06fc43f-07b5-4ee1-80fa-745cda6db6d3https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2fe6a9ce-4bce-4f35-8b22-2b00b43c09f2https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8917a189-f9e6-4e34-b225-4eb110116a1dhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f77ea4ce-f078-492f-9b4d-410f76a20279https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f320c1e6-297f-478c-af2a-b2c621c52565COMPETENT-QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENTThe information in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Dr Andrew Stewart who is responsible for the exploration data, comments on exploration target sizes, QA/QC and geological interpretation and information. Dr Stewart, who is an employee of Xanadu and is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Geoscientists, has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity he is undertaking to qualify as the “Competent Person” as defined in the 2012 Edition of the “Australasian Code for Reporting Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves” and the National Instrument 43-101. Dr Stewart consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on this information in the form and context in which it appears.COPPER EQUIVALENT CALCULATIONSThe copper equivalent (eCu) calculation represents the total metal value for each metal, multiplied by the conversion factor, summed and expressed in equivalent copper percentage with a metallurgical recovery factor applied. The copper equivalent calculation used is based off the eCu calculation defined by CSA in the 2018 Mineral Resource Upgrade.Copper equivalent (eCu) grade values were calculated using the following formula:eCu = Cu + Au * 0.62097 * 0.8235,Where:The copper equivalent formula was based on the following parameters (prices are in USD):CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING EXPLORATION TARGETS
The Exploration Target is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral Resource under the “Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, the JORC Code” (JORC 2004). The Exploration Target is not being reported as part of any Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve and previously reported areas of Mineral Resource have been extracted from the Exploration Target.For further information, please contact:Andrew Stewart
Chief Executive Officer
T: +61 2 8280 7497
M: +61 409 819 922
Andrew.stewart@xanadumines.com
www.xanadumines.com
APPENDIX 1: INDEPENDENT VALUATION (VALMIN 2015) OF THE KHARMAGTAI PROPERTY
http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/2a3c0f2a-a5bb-4eaf-bb47-b741b2f03d88APPENDIX 2: KHARMAGTAI TABLE 1 (JORC 2012)1.1 JORC TABLE 1 – SECTION 4 ESTIMATION AND REPORTING OF ORE RESERVESSet out below is Section 1 and Section 2 of Table 1 under the JORC Code, 2012 Edition for the Kharmagtai project. Data provided by Xanadu. This Table 1 updates the JORC Table 1 disclosure dated 31 July 2018.1.2 JORC TABLE 1 – SECTION 1 – SAMPLING TECHNIQUES AND DATA1.3 JORC TABLE 1 – SECTION 2 – REPORTING OF EXPLORATION RESULTS
1.4 JORC TABLE 1 – SECTION 3 ESTIMATION AND REPORTING OF MINERAL RESOURCES
1.5 JORC TABLE 1 – SECTION 4 ESTIMATION AND REPORTING OF ORE RESERVESOre Reserves are not reported so this is not applicable to this report.