Nuuk; NunaMinerals´("Copenhagen: NUNA.CO / NUNA:DC), 2012-06-05 07:45 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The scoping level metallurgical testing on a scheelite sample from NunaMinerals’ South Margeries Dal tungsten deposit, Ymer Island, Greenland, has been conducted by SGS Minerals Services UK on behalf of NunaMinerals. The testing of a surface bulk sample demonstrates that the mineralisation can be upgraded to approximately 65% WO3 by using a staged grind recovery strategy by gravity means alone.
The head grade for the feed sample was 3.64% WO3 with contaminant such as Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Bi and S at low levels. The head grade is consistent with the historical average grade for South Margeries Dal tungsten deposit calculated by Nordisk Mineselskab A/S in the 1980’s.
Heavy liquid testing conducted on a feed sample crushed through 11.3 mm showed that a separation made at 2.75 g/cm3 would reject 85% of the weight whilst loosing just 10% of the tungsten suggesting that this could serve as a very effective means of pre-concentration.
Gravity release analysis performed on material passing through 1 mm has shown that liberation can be attained within coarse fractions, though increasing with decreasing particle size. Excellent grades were achievable in all fractions tested, with ultimate liberation occurring below 125 μm. The maximum grade achieved from this testing was around 65% WO3 and was observed in fractions below 125 μm. This liberation point is supported by mineralogical analysis.
Flotation testing has shown that good grades can be achieved on feed material ground through 80% passing 106 μm. Maximum attained grade was 55.1% WO3. Although it has not been tested, it may be possible that this concentrate could be cleaned using a table circuit as the main mineral contaminants appear to be calcite, quartz and dolomite or diopside, all minerals with a density around 2.75 g/cm3 in contrast to the density of scheelite at 6.1 g/cm3.
NunaMinerals plans to continue flow sheet testing of additional bulk sample material that is already available. Testing should include pre-concentration using a jigging circuit or DMS followed by upgrading to final concentrate grade using tables operating in progressive grind and recovery stages.
NunaMinerals president and CEO Ole Christiansen said ”These promising metallurgical results suggest a coarse grained pre-concentrate could be produced onsite and shipped to Europe for final concentration using staged grind recovery at an existing plant thereby reducing capital investments needs onsite. Several other tungsten, antimony and gold occurrences are known in the area. The South Margeries Dal deposit could become a small but attractive start up mining project with significant potential for adding further resources through additional exploration”.
The Ymer tungsten-antimony-gold project
NunaMinerals holds a 441 km2 exclusive exploration licence covering a substantial portion of Ymer Island, which is located in a major fjord system in Central East Greenland. Regular scheduled vessels of the Royal Arctic Line service the nearby Mestersvig airfield, Daneborg weatherstation, Zackenberg and Ella Ø scientific research stations.
NunaMinerals’ exploration targets are replacement type tungsten, antimony and gold within the Laurentian Caledonides of East Greenland which includes the >10 km thick Eleonore Bay Group (EBG) sediments (Late Precambrian; c. 600-700 Ma). On Ymer Island, the Upper EBG dominates of which the lower parts consist of sandstone, siltstone and shales (Quartzite series) which host Noa Dal (ND) replacement type stibnite, gold and wolframite/scheelite mineralisation within wide, sulphide bearing hydrothermal veins and fault systems. The middle part of the Upper EBG consist of layers of limestone, dolomite and dolomitic shale (Multicolored series) which host the South Margieries Dal (SMD) and North Margieries Dal (NMD) replacement type, high-grade, separate lenses of stibnite and scheelite mineralisation with low contaminant contents. The vertical expression of the hydrothermally zoned mineralisation present on West Ymer Island is upwards of 1,500 meter. Limited historic drilling (Nordisk Mineselskab during the mid 1980’s) intersected high-grade tungsten mineralisation within silicified lensoid breccia zones, including 22 meters @ 4.99% WO3 at South Margeries Dal and 6 meter @ 3.48% WO3 + 1.93% Sb at North Margeries Dal. Surface profile samples at Noa Dal yield up to 45 meters @ 1.3% Sb and 40 meters @ 0.78 g/t gold.
The presence of several EM conductors within a >10 km stretch at ND support geochemically identified antimony-gold-tungsten targets, of which some correspond to known surface mineralisation.
NunaMinerals welcomes interested potential joint venture partners to participate in the advancement of this exciting new prospect.
For additional information, please contact:
Ole Christiansen, President, CEO, phone: +299 36 20 01, mobile: +299 55 18 57
About NunaMinerals
NunaMinerals A/S is Greenland's leading company in the exploration of gold and other precious and base metals. The company has a portfolio of 16 exclusive licenses that to date comprise 40 exploration prospects.
NunaMinerals A/S is Greenland's leading company in the exploration of precious and base metals as well as strategic metals. Firmly rooted in Greenland, the company is well positioned to exploit the mineral potential of one of the world’s few remaining unexplored regions. The geology of Greenland has a number of similarities with that of long-established mining countries such as Canada, South Africa and Australia, which all have substantial mineral deposits of gold, platinum, nickel and copper, among other commodities. Setting up partnerships that would bring further technical and financial expertise to the development of the company’s exploration prospects is a key element of NunaMinerals’ business model. NunaMinerals began operations in 1999 and is headquartered in Nuuk, Greenland. The company is listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S under the symbol “NUNA” (Reuters code: NUNA.CO; Bloomberg code: NUNA:DC). For more information, please visit our website: www.nunaminerals.com.
On behalf of the board
Ole Christiansen, CEO & Birks Bovaird, Chairman
Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, including descriptions of NunaMinerals’ exploration and development projects, strategy and plans, as well as expectations for future revenue and earnings, reflect NunaMinerals’ current views and assumptions with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. There are many factors that may cause actual results achieved by NunaMinerals to differ materially from expectations for future results and expectations that may be expressed in or form an assumption of such forward-looking statements. Such factors include risks related to exploration, development and mining activities, uncertainties related to the results of NunaMinerals’ exploration and development projects, including risks of delays or closure of projects, price falls, currency fluctuations and changes in concession terms, legislation and administrative practices, as well as competition risk and other unforeseen factors. If one or more of such risks or factors of uncertainty were to materialise, or should one or more of the statements provided prove to be incorrect, actual developments may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. NunaMinerals is not under any duty to update the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement or to adjust such statements to actual results, except as may be required by law.
Ole Christiansen, CEO, phone +299 36 20 01, cellphone +299 55 18 57; oc@nunaminerals.com
