Kipoi plant achieves production rate 200% above nameplate capacity
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES
ASX Code: TGS
TSX Code: TGS
- 203 tonnes of copper produced in concentrate on 12 May 2012
- 200% above nameplate capacity
PERTH, Western Australia, May 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Tiger Resources Limited (ASX/TSX:TGS, "Tiger") is pleased to advise that the Heavy Media Separation (HMS) plant at its Kipoi Copper Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) produced 203 tonnes of copper in concentrate on 12 May 2012. This level of production is 200% above the HMS plant's nameplate capacity.
This result follows two consecutive months of production in excess of nameplate capacity of 35,000tpa of copper in concentrate; the plant produced 3,506 and 3,066 tonnes of copper in concentrate for March and April 2012 respectively.
"The continued delivery of over-performance at the Kipoi Copper mine reflects the high calibre of our staff and their tenacity in meeting the challenges presented by the operating environment" said Tiger's Managing Director Brad Marwood. "We now have our focus clearly on growth through exploration success, acquiring quality assets, completing the Definitive Feasibility Study for the solvent-extraction and electro-winning (SXEW) plant, and the continued delivery of production expectations underpinning our business plan."
Background
The Kipoi Project covers an area of 55 square km and is located 75km north‐north‐west of the city of Lubumbashi in the Katanga Province of the DRC. The project contains a 12km sequence of mineralised Roan sediments that host at least five known deposits: Kipoi Central, Kipoi North, Kileba, Judeira and Kaminafitwe.
The Company has reported JORC-compliant resources at three of the deposits: Kipoi Central, Kipoi North and Kileba. The principal deposit is Kipoi Central, which contains a zone of high grade copper mineralisation within a much larger, lower grade global resource.
The Company has adopted a staged development approach at the Kipoi Project. The high grade zone of mineralisation at Kipoi Central is being exploited during the Stage 1 development. During the three-year operation of Stage 1, 900,000tpa of 7% Cu is planned to be processed through the HMS plant with a recovery rate of 55%, to produce the equivalent of approximately 35,000tpa of payable copper.
The Company is currently undertaking a feasibility study to evaluate the economic viability of constructing a SXEW plant (Stage 2), targeted to come on-stream by April 2014. It is envisaged that ore from Kipoi Central, Kipoi North and Kileba South and the other deposits within the Kipoi Project and within the nearby Lupoto Project would be processed during the Stage 2 phase.
The northern boundary of the Lupoto Project is located approximately 10km to the south of the Kipoi Project and the project area can be accessed by a road that leads directly to Kipoi. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lupoto Permit (PR2214) and Aurum Sprl has the right to a 1% NSR from any production on the permit.
The Sase deposit is situated within the Lupoto Project in an area of intersecting splay structures associated with a major project-scale fault system, the Sase fault zone. Fault breccias related to the fault systems represents important exploration targets. Several analogous geological settings have been identified in other parts of the Lupoto Project area. Mineralisation at Sase is hosted in intensely brecciated sedimentary rocks, mainly carbonaceous siltstones, shales and dolomites of the lower Kundelungu group. These stratigraphic units are known to host one of the world's largest Pb-Zn-Cu deposits at Kipushi, 50km west of Lubumbashi.
Company website: www.tigerresources.com.au
Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements: The forward-looking statements made in this news release are based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events and results. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future mining, processing and development activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's filed documents.
The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves is based on information compiled by Mr. Brad Marwood, who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Mr Marwood has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr Marwood consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
SOURCE Tiger Resources Limited
in respect of the Company's activities, please contact:
Brad Marwood
Managing Director
Tel: (+61 8) 6188 2000
Email: bmarwood@tigerez.com
Stephen Hills
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (+61 8) 6188 2000
Email: shills@tigerez.com
Nathan Ryan
Investor Relations
Tel: (+61 0)420 582 887
Email: nryan@tigerez.com