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Newfield Resources Limited(ASX: NWF) (Company) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Sierra Diamonds Limited (SDL), has entered into a Conditional and Non-Binding Terms Sheet for a US$50 million secured debt facility with the AFC for the continuing development of the Tongo Diamond Mine into commercial production.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Conditional and Non-Binding Terms Sheet for a US$50 million debt facility (Facility) has been executed with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) for the continuing development of the Tongo Diamond Project (Project). Detailed due diligence is in progress with the AFC and its independent consulting groups.
- The Facility will enable the production ramp-up at the Tongo Diamond Mine to be accelerated, construction of the designed 50tph processing plant and final recovery and advance the Tongo Dyke-1 kimberlite into development and production.
- Recent operations have focused on stope mining of the eastern segment of the Kundu ore reserve with plans to establish development towards the west of Kundu being implemented.
- Next diamond sale scheduled for mid-July 2023.
AFC is a multilateral financial institution established in 2007 to be the catalyst for private sector-led infrastructure investment across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.
Sixteen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 40 member countries and has invested US$11.5 billion across Africa since its inception.
The key material terms of the Terms Sheet include:
Provision of the facility will be announced on completion of the conditions to financial close.
NWF Executive Director Mr Karl Smithson commented:
“We are delighted to have signed the Terms Sheet with the AFC, representing a significant milestone for the Company. The due diligence progress preceding this Terms Sheet has been extensive, and we are pleased with the progress made to date. Due diligence is ongoing, led by the AFC and its independent consulting groups concerning technical, financial, environmental and social aspects of the Company and the Tongo Mine development.
“The Board of Directors are of the opinion that the Terms Sheet is a crucial step forward and provides a framework for the parties to align on the financing terms for the Project.
“Through its own funding, Newfield has substantially advanced the Tongo Mine from exploration to development and into first production. We believe that the right financing partnership will enable the Tongo Mine to move to full-scale production and create many positive benefits for all stakeholders, including the local communities, the Government of Sierra Leone and the shareholders of Newfield.
“Our capable technical team, including recently appointed technical adviser to the Board, Koos Visser, is actively progressing off and on-site due diligence processes with the AFC’s independent advisor groups, and we look forward to providing further updates as we progress.”
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This article includes content from Newfield Resources Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Drilling Commenced at Viani in Fiji
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program has commenced at the Viani Project, Fiji and will test for extensions to the quartz vein gold mineralisation at depth.
- Phase 1 is expected to be completed in early 2025, with plans for additional drilling under the same program dependent on the initial results
- The Viani Project (SPL1513) covers an area of approximately 200km2 and is largely underexplored.
- At the Dakuniba prospect within Viani, low sulphidation epithermal high-grade gold mineralisation has been mapped over >3km strike length.
- Diamond drilling completed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1995 to 1997 intersected high-grade gold in low sulphidation epithermal quartz veins, including 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au.
Alice Queen’s Managing Director, Andrew Buxton said,
With drilling underway, Alice Queen is positioned to test the epithermal gold-style mineralisation identified in historic drilling at the Viani Project. Weather permitting, we anticipate completing the Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program in early 2025. Following this, our exploration team will mobilise the drill rig to the Sabeto Project in Fiji to maintain the momentum of this campaign. To deliver timely results to shareholders, we intend to accelerate the analysis of the drill core at ALS Brisbane.”
Image 1 – Diamond drilling at Viani
Details
Geology
The geology of the Viani Project (SPL 1513) comprises olivine basalts and volcaniclastics of the Natewa Volcanic Group which are intruded by andesite sills and dykes. In the 1940s, gold mineralisation was found by local prospectors near the village of Dakuniba. At Dakuniba, low sulphidation style epithermal gold occurs in quartz veins, and silicified rocks along a 3km long NE trending zone.
In 1995-1997, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drilled six diamond holes at Dakuniba and intersected high-grade gold in chalcedonic, crustiform, colloform banded quartz veins at depths of 50m to 100m below surface (i.e. MJVFV-5 intersected 2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au, incl 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au at 121m downhole). This high-grade gold mineralisation is open in all directions.
Proposed Drill program
The initial Phase 1 drill program at Viani (see Table 1) will comprise three diamond drillholes designed to test continuity to the epithermal gold mineralisation previously intersected in JICA drillhole MJVFV- 5 (2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au) (see Figure 2). The drilling will test for extensions to the gold mineralisation at depth and along strike.
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This article includes content from Alice Queen Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Maiden Drill Program Set to Commence at the High-Priority Cangallo Porphry Copper Project
- Maiden RC drill program to commence at Cangallo in mid-December
- Program will test a large-scale, undrilled porphyry copper target
- Assay results expected around the end of January 2025
- Permitting underway for drill programs across other high-priority, large-scale porphyry copper targets at Lantana and Playa Kali
Access and drill pad preparations have commenced with drilling scheduled to start around mid-December. The planned program, which comprises a minimum of eight drill-holes for a total of ~2,500m, will take 3 to 4 weeks to complete with assay results expected around the end of January 2025.
Figure 1: Cangallo Porphyry Copper Prospect showing copper and molybdenum values and permitted drill sites.
Geological mapping and rock-chip sampling has outlined a partially exposed potential copper (+/- gold) porphyry system, within a large-scale (3km x 2km) caldera-like structure containing extensive colluvial and younger sediment cover.
The initial drilling program will test areas containing relatively intense veining (quartz) and porphyritic dykes, where higher copper (up to 0.65% Cu) and gold (up to 0.3g/t Au) values have been found. The possibility of a buried porphyry copper system beneath the extensive cover within the interpreted caldera-like structure will also be tested.
Cangallo is located close to significant infrastructure and is approximately 25km from the town of Chala, and within 10km of the coast.
Commenting on the imminent commencement of drilling at Cangallo, AusQuest’s Managing Director, Graeme Drew, said:
“This is a very exciting time for the Company as we are about to commence the maiden drill program at this high-priority porphyry copper target in Peru which we have been working towards for over 12 months.
Cangallo has never been drilled before and demonstrates classic geochemical and alteration signatures which suggest there is significant potential to discover large-scale copper porphyry mineralisation.
Success at Cangallo has potential to create significant value for our shareholders and we look forward to keeping our shareholders updated as the results become available.”
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This article includes content from AusQuest limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.