Diamond Mining Permit Granted
POPLAR RESOURCES LTD ("PPX-V;PPLTF-L")- Diamond Mining Permit Granted
Poplar Resources Ltd. the "Company" is pleased to announce that amining permit for the Lovedale Mine has been granted by the South Africangovernment. It was issued to Savannah Diamondfields Pty Ltd.,
Poplarspartner in the Aardvark Project. It is important to note that there is nolimit on production set by the permit. The original application was for apermit to mine 200,000 tonnes, but this tonnage limit was waived by theauthorities. This permit will now allow for the mining of kimberlite ore,and the disposal and sale of diamonds,
not only from the Lovedale pipe, butalso from the three kimberlite fissures that intersect with it. TheLovedale Mine is one part of the Aardvark Project, located in theTheunissen Diamond Field in South Africas Free State.
The first stage of development will be to conduct a 350-tonne bulksample programme on the Lovedale Pipe itself. The surface area of the pipeis approximately 3,000 sq. meters. Preparation work on the surface hasalready been completed over the past two months. This includes:refurbishment of the existing 105 metre deep shaft; upgrades to the headgear; the installation of a mine hoist and power supply; and constructionof a workshop. The kimberlite ore will be processed in a nearby plantsaving considerable time and expense.
Bulk sampling will be done in hypabyssal kimberlite, or blueground, at the 100-metre level. The primary objective is to confirm theconsultants reports, by D.J. Sandie, L. Jacobs and J.W. Higgs, thatindicate grades of 25 cpht for the pipe. According to Higgs, diamondsrecovered in 1965 "were of exceptional quality and 90
classified ashigh-quality gem stones of special colour white and blue white.Significantly, 5 of the stones were reported to be above 2 carats in sizeand a further 10 were in the 1-2 carat range. Later testing will be doneon the Lovedale fissures to see if they areextensions of the fissures on the adjoining Star Mine, and if they
havesimilar grades to those at Star.
Drives are already in place at the Lovedale Mine. They will beused to access the Lovedale Pipe and intercepting fissures. The Lovedalediamond deposit is part of a larger kimberlite "swarm that also includesthe Thor pipe and 36 km of fissures. Exploration results on theseadditional sections of the Aardvark Project will be
announced soon. Poplaris earning a 45 interest in Savannah, through the issuance of shares and byfinancing the current work programme. The mining permit for the LovedaleMine represents an important new stage in the Company's progress, as itpotentially changes Poplar from an exploration company to a diamondproduction
company.TEL: (604) 718-5454
Gennen W. McDowall, President and CEOTEL: 1-888-500-4587FAX: (604) 685-6341Internet:
www.poplar-res.com
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