Alford East Copper-Gold ISR Project, South Australia
The directors of Thor Mining Plc (“Thor”) (AIM, ASX: THR, OTCQB: THORF) are very pleased to advise that Thor has fulfilled its Stage 1 expenditure obligations, as agreed in the Agreement, triggered Stage 1 of the earn-in and entitling the Company to increase its interest to 51% interest in the oxide mineral rights from Spencer Metals Pty Ltd (“Spencer”) over the Alford East Copper-Gold Project, South Australia.
Highlights:
- Thor to acquire up to an 80% interest directly in the Alford East Project, covering portions of EL6255 and EL6529 (AIM:THR 20 November 2020).
- Stage 1: Thor has earned a 51% interest by completing the Stage 1 requirements by funding A$500,000 of expenditure and will issue the Stage 1 consideration of A$250,000 in fully paid Thor shares, issued at the 5-day ASX VWAP (volume weighted average price) on the date immediately prior to allotment, together with two free attaching options per share issued, exercisable at $0.03 within 5 years from the date of issue.
- Stage 2: Thor can earn a further 29% interest (80% in total) by funding an additional A$750,000 of expenditure over a subsequent 2 years and for an additional consideration of A$250,000 in fully paid Thor shares, issued at the 5-day ASX VWAP on the date immediately prior to allotment and two free attaching options per share issued, exercisable at A$0.03 within 5 years from the date of issue (Stage 2 expenditure).
Nicole Galloway Warland, Managing Director of Thor Mining, commented:
“Following the recently completed, highly successful drilling program at Alford East, including highlights of 72.7m @ 1.0% Cu and 0.19g/t Au from 6.3m and 18.2m @ 2.0% Cu and 0.34g/t Au from 15.8m (21AED005), Thor has successfully earned in to a 51% interest of the project.
“The Company is now progressing with the completion of the Stage 2 earn in, which will result in Thor having an 80% interest in this highly prospective project. This demonstrates our confidence in Alford East and the value it can bring to the Company.
“We look forward to keeping shareholders updated on the progress of the Stage 2 earn-in and our continued exploration of the project.”
A copy of the Tenement and Prospect Location Plan may be viewed via the following link:
http://www.thormining.com/sites/thormining/media/maps/21-001-4-ae-mre-%E2%80%93-location.jpg
A plan view showing the Alford East Project’s eight mineralised domains , may be viewed via the following link:
http://www.thormining.com/sites/thormining/media/maps/mre_ae_5-drilling.jpg
The Agreement Structure and Commercial Terms
Under the terms of the Agreement, Thor is granted the right to explore for minerals on the agreed portions of the exploration licences (EL6255 and EL6529), and to conduct feasibility and development activities in respect thereto, and via funding expenditure on these activities [and payment of consideration as set out below], earn an interest in oxide minerals of up to 80% over two stages:
- Stage 1: Thor has earned a 51% interest by completing the Stage 1 requirements by funding A$500,000 of expenditure and will issue the Stage 1 consideration of A$250,000 in fully paid Thor shares, issued at the 5-day ASX VWAP (volume weighted average price) on the date immediately prior to allotment, together with two free attaching options per share issued, exercisable at $0.03 within 5 years from the date of issue.
- Stage 2: earn a further 29% interest (80% in total) by funding an additional A$750,000 of expenditure over a subsequent 2 years and for an additional consideration of A$250,000 in fully paid Thor shares, issued at the 5 day ASX VWAP on the date immediately prior to allotment and two free attaching options per share issued, exercisable at A$0.03 within 5 years from the date of issue (Stage 2 expenditure);
- Upon Thor completing the acquisition of an 80% interest in the project, Spencer will hold a free carried 20% interest until decision to mine.
Alford East Project Background
The Alford East Copper-Gold Project is located on EL6529, where Thor is earning up to 80% interest from unlisted Australian explorer Spencer Metals Pty Ltd, covering portions of EL6255 and EL6529 (Figure 1) (ASX: THR Announcement 23 November 2020).
The Alford East Project covers the northern extension of the Alford Copper Belt, located on the Yorke Peninsula, SA. The Alford Copper Belt is a semi coherent zone of copper-gold oxide mineralisation, within a structurally controlled, north-south corridor consisting of deeply kaolinised and oxidised troughs within metamorphic units on the edge of the Tickera Granite (Figure 1), Gawler Craton, SA.
Utilising historic drill hole information, Thor completed an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) (AIM: THR Announcement 26 January 2021):
- 125.6Mt @ 0.14% Cu containing 177,000t of contained copper
- 71, 500oz of contained gold
Further details of the Alford East Project can be found here: www.thormining.com/sites/thormining/media/pdf/asx-announcements/20210127-maiden-copper.gold-estimate-alford-east-sa.pdf
Based on the nature on the oxide mineralisation, the deposit is considered amenable to In Situ Recovery (ISR) techniques. For further information on ISR please refer to Thor’s website via this link for an informative video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG_1ZGD0WIw
Table A: Alford East Mineral Resource Estimate as at 22 January 2021, with AR-5 extending towards AE-8 domains (previously Netherleigh Park) the focus of the recently completed drilling program.
Note: MRE reported on oxide material only, at a cut-off grade of 0.05% copper which is consistent with the assumed In Situ Recovery technique.
The final batch of drill core from the recently completed drilling program is currently at the laboratory, with all assay results anticipated in approximately 2 weeks.
This announcement is authorised for release to the market by the Board of Directors.
For further information on the Company, please visit www.thormining.com or contact the following:
Thor Mining PLC
Nicole Galloway Warland, Managing Director
Ray Ridge, CFO / Company Secretary
Tel: +61 (8) 7324 1935
Tel: +61 (8) 7324 1935
Competent Persons Report
The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results and the Estimation and Reporting of the Alford East Mineral Resource Estimation is based on information compiled by Nicole Galloway Warland, who holds a BSc Applied geology (HONS) and who is a Member of The Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Ms Galloway Warland is an employee of Thor Mining PLC. She has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which she is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’. Nicole Galloway Warland consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on her information in the form and context in which it appears.
