news
posted on
Feb 15, 2011 08:21AM
Exploring Base Metal and Iron Properties in Western Labrador, Central Newfoundland and Northeastern Quebec: Featuring over 5.0 Bt of Iron Ore Resources in the Fermont Property Claim Blocks
Champion Minerals Initiates 5,000 m Diamond Drilling Campaign on Moire Lake Iron Project in the Fermont Iron Property (ccnm)
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 15, 2011) - CHAMPION MINERALS INC. (TSX:CHM)(FRANKFURT:P02) ("Champion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of a 5,000 m diamond drilling campaign on the Company's Moire Lake iron project in the Fermont Iron Property in northeastern Quebec.
The 25 claim/11 km2 Moire Lake Project ("Moire Lake" or the "Project") in Champion's Fermont Iron Property Cluster 1 is located 4 km southwest of the town of Fermont (Quebec), and occurs adjacent and contiguous to the east of ArcelorMittal's Mt. Wright Mine and Concentrator operations.
The Project hosts the Moire Lake Iron Occurrence (MRNFQ Deposit File 23B14-0014). Explored in the 1950's, the occurrence hosts Historic Mineral Resources* of 101.6 million tonnes grading 30.8% Iron (MRNFQ Assessment File GM13035, 1963). The iron formation is essentially a massive, thick-banded quartz-magnetite-hematite rock.
Champion's 5,000 m drill program at Moire Lake will test the deposit in order to validate the historical numbers as the Company seeks to potentially significantly increase tonnage while upgrading the Historical Mineral Resources* into a National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate.
The Fermont Iron Property and the planned 60,000 m Drilling Program
Following the completion of a detailed assessment of the historic work and mineral resources potential on fourteen (14) individual properties of the Fermont Iron Property (refer to the Champion news release dated December 15, 2010) and the closing of a recent $30 million bought-deal financing (refer to the Champion news release dated February 3, 2011), Champion has outlined an aggressive 60,000 m diamond drilling program designed to validate and potentially significantly increase and upgrade Historical Mineral Resources* from the current 613 million tonnes grading 31% Iron.
Of the fourteen (14) properties, seven (7) host a total of 613 million tonnes grading 31% Iron in Historical Mineral Resources* (Paquet, 1963; MRNFQ Assessment File GM 13035). Two (2) additional properties, the Fire Lake North and Bellechasse Projects, host 603 million tonnes in current NI 43-101 Mineral Resources grading 29% Iron representing a near 5-times increase over the historic estimates. With the planned 60,000 m of drilling, Champion hopes to achieve similar success at several other properties with Historic Mineral Resources*. The following table summarizes the Historic and Current Mineral Resources* from the Fermont Iron Property:
Notes: Numbers have been rounded following NI 43-101 standards; PEA – Preliminary Economic Assessment Study; DD – Diamond Drilling; n/a – no estimates; n/d – not determined at this time; MRE - Mineral Resources Estimates. Historical Mineral Resources* are from Paquet, 1963 (MRNFQ Assessment File GM 13035). The table contains the Historical Mineral Resources* at Fire Lake North and Bellechasse but they are not included in the total Historical Mineral Resources*, since they have been converted and increased to significantly higher current NI 43-101 Mineral Resources. 1 Grade is quoted at a 15% Iron cut-off.
PROPERTY | CLUSTER | HISTORIC MINERAL RESOURCES* (% GRADE IRON) |
CURRENT NI 43-101 MINERAL RESOURCES (% GRADE IRON) |
CURRENT PROGRAM STATUS |
Moire | 1 | 101 Mt @ 31% | n/a | DD: 5,000m |
Fire Lake North | 2 | 41 Mt @ 31% | 388 Mt @ 29%1 | PEA, DD: 17,000m |
Bellechasse | 2 | 91 Mt @ 30% | 215 Mt @ 29%1 | DD: 3,000m |
Harvey-Tuttle | 2 | n/a | n/a | MRE pending |
O'Keefe-Purdy | 2 | 51 Mt @ 37% | n/a | DD: 6,000m |
Penguin | 3 | 100 Mt @ 30% | n/a | n/d |
Silicate-Brutus | 3 | 304 Mt @ 29% | n/a | n/d |
Audrey-Ernie | 3 | 23 Mt @ 33% | n/a | n/d |
Big Three | 3 | 24 Mt @ 33% | n/a | n/d |
Black Dan | 3 | 10 Mt @32.3% | n/a | n/d |
TOTAL | 613 Mt @ 31% | 603 Mt @ 29% |