AMN - ZIMBABWE: Work under way on RHA tungsten mine

Premier African Minerals, the AIM-traded, multi-commodity mining and natural resource development company focused on Southern and Western Africa, has updated progress at the RHA tungsten project, in respect of which Premier is the operator and holds a 49% interest.

Highlights:

-          Fabrication of plant modifications at RHA completed and equipment en-route to site. Civils construction started at site

-          Bulk test work using historic tailings run through our plant highlight potential to supplement ROM ore during underground mining ramp up phase

-          Early results from XRT test work on low grade wolframite bulk samples from open pit confirm upgrading potential.

Premier African Minerals CEO George Roach says: "It is encouraging to note the potential to make up any shortfall in underground mining tonnage through the re-treatment of historic tailings as we continue ramping up underground mining to the projected 9000 tonnes/month.

“XRT bulk sample results seem to have been worth the wait and, provided there is no deviation from these early findings and the additional necessary studies are concluded successfully, the prospect remains that the open pit will be reopened and mined profitably.

“We have an extended team of geologists who are busy at RHA conducting detailed additional sampling and validating past results, both from historic reporting and our more recent work in the open pit. While I am reluctant to set a final target date, I do now see significant progress towards a new resource statement incorporating both open pit and some elements of the historic underground operations.”

Premier African Minerals has also provided an update in regard to process development at the Zulu lithium and tantalum project (Zulu) located at FortRixon in Zimbabwe.

Highlights:

-          Initial test results of Zulu samples provided

-          1.55% Li2O reported in spodumene/lepidolite ore sample taken from the exploration adit

-          1.23% Li2O reported in petalite ore sample.

George Roach commented: "These high Li2O grades contained in the bulk samples are in line with our exploration data. Process development being undertaken in Germany is directed to production of marketable spodumene and petalite concentrates, both of which are in demand as much in the ceramics and glass industries and as a source for low impurity lithium. Premier is now concentrating efforts to better understand the complexities of this substantial multi-phase pegmatite and further develop the resource model. Premier is in preliminary discussions with parties interested in participating in lithium resource development in Zimbabwe.”

www.@premierafricanminerals.com

News courtesy of International Mining