Even 4-6 Grams means something, no need to go for 90 grams when it is ORE ...or ORO...if GRAMs were LIKE years AND years WERE like JOE-K and OUR hopes; THEN:
Lots of PT based Exploration and Developing Companies, not much talk of COC and Engineering - save a few.
This one outside Jo'burg in SA is said to resemble, Birch Mountain in a book I read...in terms of complex, and organics:( Note the Wick Comment on OGM as it it is the main function site, as I have no clue and I wonder if DeNoble revised this link a year ago and forgot to tell them...no...it is the ORE PILE STILL, NOW! ? Hell, I don't think even DJ knows as sure as hell, we don't know...Weaver, ORE PILE....OGMine in Wickenburg, WHAT! I just as soon have us mine the Gold in Joe's Left< Right even?> one as not KNOW what the foucus is or is not! LOL, Best Joe K ! )
goldsheet.simplenet.com
aquariusplatinum.com.au
Resource Geometry and Structure
The UG2 orebody is over 3 km long and up to 1.5 km wide, and extends from the near surface to a maximum depth of about 200 m. Contouring of UG2 elevations from the 26 cored intersections indicates a relatively simple trough-like structure. Measure dips around the structure are variable ranging from 0-25 degrees and averaging 8-16 degrees.
The current drilling programme confirmed the concept of a simple trough-like structure for Marikana and delineated the boundaries of the trough.
Identified Mineral Resources
Snowden Mining Industry Consultants completed an updated resource statement based on previous and the most recent round of drilling at Marikana. The resource estimate now stands at 19 million tonnes at combined 4E (platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold) average grade of 4.4 g/t PGE. The resource is classified as : Indicated - 14.6 Mt (76% of contained metals) and Inferred - 4.4 Mt (24%).
Metallurgy
The metallurgical test programme on the core samples for the milling programme was completed, with 27 cores being tested by batch flotation, providing an indication of the metallurgical response over the orebody. The results show that the ore is variable, with some portions showing a response similar to the Kroondal ore (good recoveries at a coarse grind) and other sections showing a more typical UG2 metallurgy which requires a finer grind and higher additions of talc depressants. Oxidised ore is present in the shallower sections of the orebody. High sulphide and correspondingly higher values of nickel and copper are seen in certain sections of the Marikana ore, and these provide highly mineralised concentrates with good nickel and copper contents along with the PGE.
Scoping Study (accuracy rating 25%)
A scoping study was completed by Dowding Reynard & Associates to determine the capital and operating costs for a concentrator plant and infrastrucutre to process 1 Mtpa of UG2 ore. The process design of the concentrator was selected to suit the anticipated mine plan and the data from the metallurgical testwork, and differs from the Kroondal Plant by not incorporating DMS at start-up and by not recovering chromite from the tailings. The Marikana concentrator also incorporates an additional milling and flotation stage. The scoping study utilised cost generated from the Kroondal Platinum Project. The capital cost is projected to be ZAR163 million with an opening cost of ZAR48.82 per tonne ROM. Tailings dam costs are not included.
Concentrate Processing
Testwork in respect of the developments of a method of processing PGM flotation concentrates into a high grade product that is acceptable as feed to a PGM refinery was completed.
The results were sufficiently encouraging for Aquarius to commence an engineering review which will examine the robustness of the fundamentals of the process route and determine capital and operating costs for a processing plant located next to the flotation concentrator.
This technology, if successful, would be particularly suited to remote or stand-alone concentrator plants, for UGs and other PGM deposits, especially where concentrates are low grade or contain significant contents of impurities that attract smelter penalties.
Plan for further development
On 22 July 1999 it was announced that the Company was proceeding with a bankable feasibilty study for the Marikana Platinum Project, following the completion of a scoping study. The Directors believe that this feasibility study should be completed in December 1999.
Subject to satisfactory results from the bankable feasibility study and the raising of adequate additional funds, the Company intends to develop the Marikana Platinum Project initially through opencut mining alone, using dragline technology. Although much of the PGM bearing reef would be within the limits of opencut technology, analysis based upon a maximum open pit depth of 80 m has led the Company to consider an underground mining system for deeper parts of the reef.
Further evaluation will be required in the light of the feasibility study to establish a comprehensive understanding of how the Marikana Platinum Project will be brought to production.
Under the terms of the Kroondal Project off-take agreement, Impala has a right of first refusal in respect of any concentrate produced by the Company at Marikana or elsewhere, with the exception of the area to the west of and downdip of the Kroondal mine, known as the Rustenburg Section Lease Area.
Project Funding
No funds are sought in order to finance the development of the Marikana Project at this stage as the Board prefers to review the requirement for further funding and the options available on the basis of the outcome of the feasibility study. To the extent that the issue of further securities may be desirable at that stage, it is hoped that the Company will benefit both from the greater flexibility that such an approach permits as well as increased availability of information to potential investors.
goldsheet.simplenet.com
PLATINUM GROUP METALS - INFORMATION LINKS
MBendi Platinum Mining Industry - Overview of the industry in Africa
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Platinum Group Metal Profile - From American Metal Market (AMM) Online
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Platinum Guild International - International trade association dedicated to the education and dissemination of marketing and research information about platinum
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USGS Platinum Group Metals - Statistics and Information for Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Osmium, and Iridium
PLATINUM GROUP METALS - COMPANY LINKS
Altoro Gold [VSE:ATG] - Birch Lake Platinum-Palladium Property, Minnesota.
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Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) [AAPTY] - World's major primary producer of platinum and other Platinum Group Metals
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ANZEX Resources [VSE:AZX] - Longwood project, situated on the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island.
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Aquarius Platinum [ASX:AQS] - Aquarius owns (through its subsidiary Kroondal Platinum Mines Limited), strategically located platinum resources in two blocks at Kroondal and Waterval located 5 kilometres from Rustenburg in the mineral-rich Bushveld Complex of South Africa
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Band-Ore Resources [TSE:BAN] - Nym Lake Property located 15 km southeast of Atikokan, in northwestern Ontario
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Birch Mountain Resources [ALB:BMD] - Exploring for PGM-gold deposits in Dawson Bay, Manitoba.
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<<LOL- Even Birch Mountain is set up incorrectly, The Main Acres are in Alberta not Manitoba with the 2.5 ish MILLION ACRES! At least I know that THERE, Location 3 Times! >>
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Darnley Bay Resources [VSE:DBL] - Exploring the geophysical anomaly (potential to contain nickel, copper and platinum group elements) in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region at Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
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Flag Resources [ALB:FGR.A] - Rathburn Township, Wanapitei Gabbro Intrusion, Platinum-Palladium Prospect, Sudbury, Ontario
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FreeWest Canada [MSE:FWR] - Folson Lake and Bull Lake PGE-Cu-Ni properties, located in Gerow Township, west of Sudbury, Ontario.
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Global Platinum & Gold [OTCBB:GPGI] - Oro Grande Mine located near Wickenburg, Arizona
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Houston Lake Mining [ALB:HLM] - Tib Lake Palladium Property located in the Thunder Bay region of Ontario.
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Impala Platinum [IMPAY] - Second largest producer of platinum group metals in the world
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Mustang Minerals [MMIN] - East Bull Lake Platinum-Palladium-Rhodium (PGM) Property, near Sudbury, Ontario
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Norilsk Nickel - Major percentages of world production: 40% of palladium, 24% of platinum, and 20% of rhodium
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North American Palladium [TSE:PDL] - Operates the Lac des Iles Platinum Group Metals ("PGM") open pit mine, approximately 55 miles north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
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Phoenix Metals [OTCBB:PMTU] - Extraction of precious metals, including the platinum group, from enriched volcanic cinder ore found in areas of the Southwestern United States
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Platexco [TSE:PTX] - Interests in South African PGMS projects via Trojan Platinum, Mokopane Mining, and Septre Mining.
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Polymet Mining [VSE:POM] - Open-pit accessible NorthMet deposit (Minnesota, USA) contains copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum-group metals, gold and silver.
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Resource Exploration NL [ASX:REE] - Breakaway Platinum Prospect, located in the Mt Gibson North region 420 kilometres north-east of Perth and 30 kilometres north-west of Paynes Find in Western Australia.
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SouthernEra [TSE:SUF] - To purchase Messina Holdings 54.17% interest in Messina Limited, which owns 100% of Messina Platinum Mines Limited.
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Starcore Resources [VSE:SOE] - PGE Properties in Atikokan Area of northwest Ontario
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Starfield Resources [ALB:SRU] - Ferguson Lake Project, nickel-copper cobalt and platinum group elements (PGE) property, Nunavut Territory, Canada.
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Stillwater Mining [ASE:SWC] - The only significant primary producer of platinum group metals (PGMs) in the Western Hemisphere. Profile
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Zimplats ASX:ZIM - Only publicly listed platinum company developing and producing platinum group metals in Zimbabwe Incorporated in Guernsey in May 1998 as a holding company for platinum assets previously held by Delta Gold NL
Chucka-MOVE grams FASTER
Low Grams have value in COC BULK TONAGE TESTS:
>Subject: NEWS Strathcona Contracts with BMD Birch
>
>Birch Mountain Resources Ltd -
>Birch Mountain raises $565,000 privately
>Birch Mountain Resources Ltd BMD
>Shares issued 27,777,790 1999-11-23 close $1.53
>Wednesday Nov 24 1999
>
>Mr. Doug Rowe reports
>Birch Mountain has closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $565,000, less expenses estimated to be $5,000. No agents' fees or commissions were payable on this transaction.
>The private placement consisted of 491,305 units. Each unit was priced at $1.15 and consisted of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant, under which 40,000 common shares were issued with attached flow-through benefits and 451,305 common shares were issued without flow-through benefits. Each whole common share purchase warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $1.50 per common share on or before Nov. 10, 2000.
>The proceeds of the private placement will be applied to the working capital of Birch Mountain and will be primarily committed to furthering the Prairie gold project in Western Canada.
>Birch Mountain completed the acquisition of 846785 Alberta Ltd., a private Alberta corporation, the sole asset of which is a 0.70-per-cent undivided net smelter return royalty in certain metallic and industrial mineral permits held by Birch Mountain. As consideration for the acquisition, Birch Mountain issued 25,000 common shares at a deemed price of $1.14 per share.
>Strathcona Mineral Services Limited and Pincock, Allen & Holt Ltd. have been retained to provide independent recommendations and expert opinions on Birch Mountain's Prairie gold exploration, related technology development and scoping economics.
>Strathcona has conducted independent sampling on Birch Mountain's Athabasca property and will prepare an assessment of sampling and analytical results, including precious metal assay methods currently under refinement.
>Pincock, Allen & Holt is working with management to prepare conceptual economic models of precious metals development in Athabasca for internal strategic planning.
>
canada-stockwatch.com
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