UK-based nickel miner African Eagle Resources has discovered nickel sulphide deposits and platinum group elements (PGEs) at Dutwa, its flagship mining operation in Tanzania
African Eagle CEO Trevor Moss said the company had long known about the significance of Dutwa’s laterite deposits. The existence of nickel and PGEs in sulphides in the strata closely underlying these deposits has, however, been an additional proof of the overall strong point of Dutwa, added Moss.
The company’s flagship project is located in Dutwa, about 25km south of Lake Victoria and 100km east of Mwanza within greenstone gold belts, which hosts many of Tanzania’s operating and developing gold mines.
Moss said, “We are planning to implement a cost-effective exploration programme to explore and quantify the extent of the sulphide mineralisation and begin to define what may be another aspect of the potential nickel province.
“During the resource drilling programme, conducted between 2008 and 2012, at the Dutwa nickel laterite ore bodies, there was a company procedure for all the drill holes to extend through the laterite horizon.”
Moss said an assessment of the bedrock intersections has exposed many holes with raised nickel and PGE values which seemed to be in conflict with the known laterite mineralisation.
A recent re-testing of the samples has indicated the presence of sulphide mineralisation.
The company will now start a project of geophysical surveys, including electromagnetic and induced polarisation.
