10
MODERN MINING
July 2014
MINING News
ASX-listed MOD Resources has announced
that a review of previous drilling at
its 100 %-owned Corner K deposit in
Botswana’s ‘Kalahari Copperbelt’ has
identified two >500 m long zones of high
grade copper sulphide and silver miner-
alisation at shallow depth. The high grade
zones (the ‘West Zone’ and ‘East Zone’)
were defined by applying a 1,5 % copper
cut-off to numerous diamond drill hole
intersections.
Both zones remain open below the cur-
rent limit of drilling (approximately 200 m).
The new interpretation suggests potential
exists for the two zones to be joined below
the shallower ‘Central Zone’.
The 2,5km long deposit has been named
the Mahumo deposit. It occurs at the west-
ern end of the 4,5 km long Corner K mineral
resource (approximately 9,5 Mt at 1,14 %
copper equivalent to vertical 200 m depth)
announced in September 2012.
Mahumo represents approximately
50 % of the total strike length of the
Corner K mineral resource. The numerous,
widely spaced, high grade copper and
silver drill hole intersections have effec-
tively been diluted in the resource by a
large volume of lower grade mineralisa-
tion extending 2 km east of the Mahumo
deposit.
The new interpretation of the drill hole
data from Mahumo highlights the possi-
bility that high grade vein related copper
and silver mineralisation may extend over
Fo l l owi ng t he announcement by
Waterberg Coal Company (WCC) in
February 2014 that it had entered into a
Letter of Intent with ARDBEL for the devel-
opment of the 22 Mt/a Coal Handling and
Processing Plant (CHPP) and associated
civil works at WCC’s Waterberg coal proj-
ect, WCC has formally instructed ARDBEL
to commence with the preliminary design
of the project.
In addition to the preliminary design
and basic engineering works, ARDBEL (a
joint venture between ELB Engineering
Services and the DRA Group) has been
appointed as the contractor for the
detailed design and execution of the CHPP
and associated infrastructure.
Waterberg Coal Company ’s CEO
Stephen Miller confirmed that this is a
pivotal point not only forWCC in the devel-
opment of a coal project which is strategic
to South Africa’s future energy require-
ments but also shows investor confidence
in South Africa and mining opportunities.
WCC is an Australian-based company
listed on the ASX and the JSE. Its principal
activities are coal and mineral exploration
in South Africa.
“What an exciting and significant proj-
ect for ARDBEL”, says Ken Bromfield, MD
of ARDBEL. “It is only 18 months since the
ARDBEL JV (Joint Venture) was formed
through the collaborative efforts of ELB
Engineering Services and the DRA Group,
High-grade mineralisation identified at Corner K deposit
many hundreds of metres along strike.
Managing Director Julian Hanna says
he is very excited by the progress that has
been made on the Botswana project over
the past few months and the potential for
new discoveries at MOD’s current targets.
“The discovery in February of the pre-
viously unknown Molelo Intrusion in the
middle of the belt signalled a change in
MOD geologists’ understanding about the
potential of this large copper province,” he
says.“The interpreted magnetic core of the
intrusion is now high on the list of drilling
targets.
“Then in June, recognition of the signifi-
cance of the high grade copper and silver
intersections in the 2,5 km long Mahumo
deposit also elevated this to a high prior-
ity for drilling. In addition, our geologists
are very keen to commence work on the
Marthie prospect, where it is interpreted
that up to 25 km of the copper prospec-
tive contact may have been folded into a
structurally favourable site.”
MOD’s Kalahari Copperbelt tenements are located close to those of Cupric Canyon (which is developing
the Khoemacau project) and Discovery Metals (which operates the Boseto mine).
ARDBEL starts work onWaterberg project
with the specific purpose of re-defining
large scale materials handling and infra-
structure engineering services to the
mining industry. Drawing from the pool of
specialist skills of two well establishedmin-
eral processing, mining infrastructure and
materials handling engineering companies
in Africa, ARDBEL offers exceptional proj-
ect management of bulk materials skills
backed by a wealth of experience and
financial stability.”
ARDBEL, through its parent companies,
has significant experience and capabilities
in the design and execution of complete
CHPP-type projects from Run of Mine
(ROM) crushing and screening circuits
and coal processing plants to train load-
ing stations, including the associated
infrastructure.
