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Gold mineralization overprinting Cabaçal's
copper-gold VMS system recognized over an 11km zone
LONDON, Dec. 6, 2021 /CNW/ - Meridian Mining UK S (TSXV:
MNO) (Frankfurt: 2MM) (Tradegate:
2MM) (OTCQB: MRRDF) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to
provide an update on results from its ongoing exploration programs
at its camp scale Cabaçal Copper-Gold VMS Project ("Cabaçal") in
Mato Grosso, Brazil. Meridian has
received the 1st results from the gold ("Au") in-soils
data collected at the C2A Copper ("Cu")-Zinc ("Zn") & Au
prospect ("C2A") indicating a broad 4Km long Au anomaly with linear
Au highs being present. The Company has combined today's results
with its 2021 exploration results, and Cabaçal's combined
historical production and exploration databases. This has
recognized the potential of the late-stage Au structures
overprinting the Cabaçal Cu-Au-Silver ("Ag") VMS system to extend
from the Cabaçal mine area in the northwest to the Santa Helena Zn
+Cu-Au-Ag mine in the southeast; a distance of 11km (Figure 1).
Further historical data to the northwest and southeast of this mine
corridor's limits remains under review and this regional Au
overprint may extend further. Meridian also reports that the
initial trenching along C2A's 1,500m
long Area 1 anomaly have confirmed Cabaçal's VMS host units with a
broad ~35m wide Cu-Zn anomaly that remains open (Figure 2). Further
results for C2A are pending.
Highlights of today's update:
- Meridian identifies Au overprint of VMS Cu-Au units, present
along a 11km mine corridor;
-
- Ongoing review of project scale datasets identifies broader
footprint of late-stage Au event superimposed on earlier VMS Cu-Au
system;
- High grade Au veins potential extends to the southeast as far
as the Santa Helena Mine;
-
- Santa Helena drill core shows evidence for high-grade Au
overprint;
- Au and VMS Cu-Au trends are open;
- C2A's soil surveys lengthens and widens anomalous Au corridor
identifying multiple anomalies;
-
- Peak Au results to 402ppb Au;
- Au responses align with, or project from base metal
trends;
- C2A's Area 1's first trenching results confirms Cu & Zn
present in hosting VMS units;
-
- Peak assays of 0.4% Cu, 0.6% Zn within a broad
and open base metal anomaly;
- Strongest zone of mineralization measured ~35m wide and
remains open;
- Meridian enhances in-house geophysical capabilities; and
-
- New gravity meter deployed to Cabaçal.
Dr Adrian McArthur, CEO and
President of Meridian, comments, "Following the recognition of
high-grade Au in the Cabaçal Northwest Extension1, the
Company has been expanding its programs to understand the potential
for repeats of the high-grade Au event superimposed on the earlier
VMS Cu-Au-Ag +Zn-Pb system. The Company is pleased to report that
Au results now received from the Cabaçal C2A area, confirm that the
Au overprint seen in the Cabaçal's mines VMS units extends
throughout the region with multiple targets identified. A review of
historical drill core photos also clearly reveals the presence of
the late-stage high-grade Au veins cutting the Santa Helena mine's
VMS package, 11km to the southeast of Cabaçal. Our first trenches
at Area-1, a 1,500m long C2A
prospect, have exposed the weathered Cabaçal VMS host units, with a
broad ~35m wide, anomalous Cu-Zn zone returning assay results of up
to 0.4% Cu & 0.6% Zn. This 35m
zone is open to the northeast, as the trench was halted due to the
deepening cover but confirms another prospect within the greater 36
km strike of licenced tenure. Today, Meridian has a centralised
stand-alone asset with the old Cabaçal Cu-Au-Ag mine and its
extensions, but now with this expanding additional portfolio of
base and precious metals prospect, the company presents as a strong
future hedge between base and precious metal commodities."
_______________________
|
1
|
See Meridian news
releases, September 2, 7, 13, October 21, 27, November 9 and 29,
2021.
|
C2A Soil Survey
The Company has received results from 1092 soil samples
collected in the C2A sampling campaign, adding additional context
to prior base metal responses2. A number of signatures
are evident, with Au responses newly recognized within and
projecting from Cu-Zn-Lead ("Pb") anomalies.
Highlights include:
- Area 1: a 1.5km long Cu prospect: associated with
peak rock chip values from reconnaissance sampling of 0.4% Cu, 0.2%
Zn (CBRO00027) and 0.4% Zn – 855 ppm Cu (CBRO00007). A Au anomaly
flanking this position has now been newly recognized. This requires
some additional definition, with a 400m gap between lines, and one line as a 47ppb
Au response on the western flank of the survey limit. There is a
peak Au value of 149ppb Au. Trenching for Cu-Zn & Au is being
expanded.
- Area 2: A 700m corridor of
>200ppm Zn/>200ppm Pb in soil response. This significant
geochemical target has flanking conductivity responses to the
immediate Northwest. A linear Au in soil response has been
recognized now in this region, and is positioned ~400 –
600m Northwest of the Sucuri VTEM
conductor, peak response of 218ppb Au;
- Area 3: A 400m corridor
characterized by a >200ppm Zn in-soil response. The soil anomaly
has coincident historical surface conductivity anomalies, and
flanking conductivity and chargeability responses to the immediate
Southwest. Soils surveys to continue into 2022;
- Area 4: This area is associated with a higher-amplitude Cu
in-soil response extending over two 200m spaced lines with a peak value of 0.10% Cu.
An offset corridor of historical EM conductivity trending in a
Northwest-southeast orientation, is seen 550 – 800m Southwest and downdip of Area 1. The Cu
response has low-level Au anomalism: peaking in the 31-47 ppb Au
range in the area associated with the EM responses. Between Area 1
and Area 4, the peak Au in soil response of 402ppb Au is
encountered.
- The C2A area was never targeted by historical drilling
campaigns. The additional of high-amplitude Au in-soil responses,
some of which remain open, add significant context to the
exploration potential of the 11km mine corridor extending between
Cabaçal and Santa Helena. The presence of islands of bedrock
suggests that the saprolite profile is not very deep.
_____________________
|
2
|
See Meridian news
release, November 1, 2021
|
C2A Trenching
The Company has started a reconnaissance trenching to gather
more information on the local substrate. The program is limited
with the wet season commencing, but already confirmed the
hydrothermal signature with structural overprinting, and validated
a mineralized source to the Cu in-soil's 1.5km anomalous zone.
Trenching across the principal soil anomaly confirmed the
presence of supergene Cu mineralization hosted within foliated
mafic metavolcanics bound by an altered felsic volcanic unit.
Initial portable XRF and subsequent laboratory assays confirmed the
presence of Cu mineralization in weathered basement rocks (Peak Cu
sample CBCH00848: 0.38% Cu, 0.11% Zn, 0.03% Pb. Peak Zn sample
CBCH00863: 0.61% Zn; 0,08% Cu, 0.00% Pb). Secondary Cu
mineralization is associated with both overprinting quartz veins
and the matrix of the host rock. For safety, the trench was offset
from the location of fresh rock chip mineralization at surface the
showed fresh blebby sulphides 75m to
the north. The trench position was dominantly within saprolite.
The trench returned a composite of 41m @ 0.1% Cu, 0.4g/t Ag, 0.2% Zn, 0.0g/t Au, but
still terminated within still a base metal anomalous host unit. A
thickening colluvial overburden prevented the trench extending
further to the northeast and with the still within above-background
Cu halo (overall Cu footprint of anomalous zone >35m true width and open; Figure 2).
Gold Review
The new Au in-soil results in the C2A area provide an important
link in the 11km mine corridor between Santa Helena and Cabaçal,
with anomalies up to 402ppb Au being significant. With the
recognition of the late-stage Au overprinting event now being
extensive at Cabaçal and its northwest and southeastern extensions
(Photo 1 Top), a review of available logs and photographs of
historical core from the Santa Helena mine was undertaken and
confirmed the exact same superimposed Au overprint.
JUCHD031 drilled at Santa Helena returned an intersection of
27.6m @ 1.6% Cu, 1.5g/t Au, 36.3g/t
Ag, 4.4% Zn) from 24.9m. A
higher-grade Au core within this returned 3.9m @ 4.7% Cu, 3.9g/t Au, 65.5g/t Ag, 5.4% Zn
from 39.7m. Peak assays in the
interval 39.68 - 40.67m of 6.7 g/t Au
show an association between the host rock and quartz veins
post-dating the VMS mineralization event (Photo 2 Bottom).
Three kilometers to the northeast of Santa Helena, the sparsely
drilled Sucuri VTEM target has a peak assay reported of
1m @ 140g/t Au, 8.4% Cu, with Cu, Pb
and Zn at levels of <0.1%. These results suggest that although
in many cases the Au event exploits the same structural pathways as
the base metal systems, that the Au mineralization also has
potential to become detached and extend beyond the immediate base
metal host. This historical Sucuri result presents a similar
potential opportunity as per JUSPD-216 did for the Cabaçal
Northwest Extension3.
The Company will continue to develop targets having recently
purchased a new gravity meter (CG-6 Autograv™ from Scintrex) which
has been delivered to site and will be deployed following training.
This will be used initially for reconnaissance work and orientation
studies at Cabaçal, for deep structural mapping. The Company will
further deploy a program of deep-seeking induced polarization
following recognition of the broad Cu-Pb-Zn halo, which the aim of
mapping thickenings of the sulphide pile, feeder pathways and
critical contact to better resolve structure. The use of the
gravity meter will also be extended to the Company's projects in
Espigão do Oeste to assist with Iron-oxide-copper-gold
targeting.
______________________
|
3
See Meridian news release, September 2, 2021
|
Notes
Samples have been analysed at the accredited SGS laboratory
in Belo Horizonte. Gold analyses
have been conducted by FAA505 (fire assay of a 50g charge), and
base metal analysis by methods ICP40B and ICP40B_S (four acid
digest with ICP-OES finish). Samples are held in the Company's
secure facilities until dispatched and delivered by staff and
commercial couriers to the laboratory. Pulps are retained for
umpire testwork, and ultimately returned to the Company for
storage. The Company submits a range of quality control samples,
including blanks and gold and polymetallic standards supplied by
ITAK and OREAS, supplementing laboratory quality control
procedures. Figures and intervals are rounded to 1 decimal
place.
Qualified Person
Dr Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons,
PhD. FAusIMM., CEO and President of Meridian as well as a Qualified
Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has supervised the
preparation of the technical information in this news release.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK S
Dr. Adrian McArthur
CEO, President and Director
Meridian Mining UK S
Email: info@meridianmining.net.br
Ph: +1 (778) 715-6410 (PST)
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Further information can be found at www.meridianmining.co
ABOUT MERIDIAN
Meridian Mining UK S is focused on the acquisition, exploration,
and development activities in Brazil. The Company is currently focused on
resource development of the Cabaçal VMS Copper-Gold project,
exploration in the Jaurú & Araputanga Greenstone belts located
in the state of Mato Grosso,
exploring the Espigão polymetallic project and the Mirante da Serra
manganese project in the State of Rondônia Brazil.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking
information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of
applicable securities laws. These statements include, among others,
statements with respect to the Company's plans for exploration,
development and exploitation of its properties and potential
mineralization. These statements address future events and
conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual
results, performance, or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by the statements. Such risk factors include, among others,
failure to obtain regulatory approvals, failure to complete
anticipated transactions, the timing and success of future
exploration and development activities, exploration and development
risks, title matters, inability to obtain any required third party
consents, operating risks and hazards, metal prices, political and
economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions,
relationships with strategic partners, governmental regulation and
supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices
and one-time events. In making the forward-looking statements, the
Company has applied several material assumptions including, but not
limited to, the assumptions that: (1) the proposed exploration,
development and exploitation of mineral projects will proceed as
planned; (2) market fundamentals will result in sustained metals
and minerals prices and (3) any additional financing needed will be
available on reasonable terms. The Company expressly disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities
legislation.
The Company cautions that it has not completed any feasibility
studies on any of its mineral properties, and no mineral reserve
estimate or mineral resource estimate has been established.
Geophysical exploration targets are preliminary in nature and not
conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit.
The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved
the contents of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor
its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE Meridian Mining UK Societas