Feb 24 2014
Zinco do Brasil Inc., a mine development company focused on bringing into production an advanced stage zinc and lead project in Brazil, is pleased to inform its shareholders with a project update.
Split of Porteirinha Project into Gorutuba and Tocandira Blocks
During the Company's soil sampling work at the targets located in the North portion of the Porteirinha Project the presence of banded iron formations were recognized in the area. These new formations were grouped together as the Tocandira Block. The development and results of the conducted geological research at the Gorutuba and the newly identified Tocandira targets lead the Company to separate said targets into two blocks; the Gorutuba Block and the newly created Tocandira Block.
Zinco do Brasil, Ltda. now has 43 tenements covering a total area of 67,704.93ha are subdivided as follows:
Salobro Project - 2 tenements covering 1,209.75ha;
Gorutuba Target - 19 tenements covering 31,296.81ha;
Tocandira Target - 22 tenements covering 36,408.12ha.
Tocandira Soil Geochemical and Field Research Results
The Tocandira Block landscape is composed of a flat plain area with rare scattered rolling and high hills. The flat plain area is broadly covered by recent unconsolidated sediments, whereas the underneath Precambrian bedrock is exposed only in the hills.
The geochemical soil sampling program was carried out in nine areas with a total of 1545 samples collected and analyzed in 2013.
The geological context of the Gorutuba and Tocandira Blocks are very different. In the Gorutuba Block the magnetic anomalies are covered by the neoproterozoic rocks of the Macaúbas group, whereas only unconsolidated rocks cover the rocks of the basement in the Tocandira Block.
The geochemical campaign confirmed some zinc, lead and copper anomalies but the geological scenario is responsible for the low results of the soil geochemical sampling, since the unconsolidated sediments prevent the direct assessment of the rocks that generated the aeromagnetic anomalies. The next phase of the exploration program will be revised considering all results from the aeromagnetic and the geochemical studies.
The fieldwork also revealed some interesting and promising occurrences of banded iron formations and provided material information for the Company's preliminary DNPM ("The National Department of Mineral Production") reports. The geological research strategy will be redirected to ground geophysical investigations which is planned for 2014.
The Banded Iron Formations identified in the field were classified as itabirites in the petrographic descriptions and their chemistry showed an iron content ranging from 33% to 41% Fe and very low content of phosphorous (less than 0.07% P).
Seven tenements were object of the Company's preliminary reports presented to DNPM last year in the Company's efforts to receive an extension allowing the Company to conduct more research. The filed preliminary reports have been approved and granted by the DNPM.
New Metallurgical Tests at Salobro Successful
The Company decided to revisit and conduct additional metallurgical tests for its Salobro ore. Representative samples were collected from the existing core yard and extensive metallurgical testing was completed without the use of sodium cyanide to confirm VALE/CETEM´s study conducted in 2002. The results confirmed that the Company can forgo the use of sodium cyanide as a standard extraction method for the future mine plant with concentrate grades greater than 50% of zinc.
Filing of Economic Mining Plan for Salobro Project
As required by the Brazilian mining laws and regulations the Company presented and filed its economic mining plan ("Plano de Approveitamento Economico - PAE") for its Salobro project to DNPM on January 15th, 2014. The Company is awaiting DNPM's review and expects to receive approval of its mining permits for the Salobro project under the Brazilian Mining Code.
Source: http://www.zincodobrasil.com/