Meridian Mining announces that it has been granted a Guia de Utilização permit No. GU nº 02/2019 (the "GU") for its Espigão manganese project by the Agência Nacional de Mineração ("ANM"), valid until 6th of March 2021 (Figure 1). The GU allows for the extraction 6,000t of Manganese oxide ("MnOx") concentrate per annum from the exploration license that covers the Ademir Curral, Sevirino, João Sarter, Ivan Pufal, Domicio Gerque and Antônio Gomes East targets of the Espigão project. Some of these prospects have been partially mined for colluvial material in the past. Thanks to approval of the final report and granting of the GU, trial extraction of additional MnOx mineralization can now be resumed and exploration commenced.
These prospective areas for colluvial and saprolite vein MnOx mineralisation are also adjacent to the Rio Madeira processing plant. It is forecasted that material extracted from the GU will be pre-processed at Rio Madeira and then a pre-concentrate will be trucked to the Jaburi for final up-grading.
Mr Clark, Interim CEO & President, states, "The Espigão team has achieved a great result in opening up another key area for extraction. In late 2018, the Espigão team was guided towards an integrated management approach for handling the various approvals needed to sustain production. Today the Company is able to demonstrate this success via the timely granting of the Ademir Curral GU."
The licence's mineral occurrences comprise colluvial and vein style manganese oxide mineral occurrences typical of the region. Structural trends include the WSW extension of the productive Vitalino - Califórnia - Eduardo Mendes Trend, which has hosted some of the larger colluvial deposits and continues to be a focus for extraction, with a dry screen operating in the California area. A NW-trending structure extends from the mining lease (Lavra) on the southern side onto the southern sector of the tenement. In the Ademir Curral target area, the structure assumes an arcuate trend, swinging to the north then north-east. A wider package of veining is developed in the north-striking sector of the vein system. The fracture pattern potentially reflects a ring-like structure outboard of the radiometric high (Figure 2) in the centre of the project area. Further radiometric highs occur in the northern sector of the licence area along the 14 Abril Trend (also known for tin mineralization along its extensions). This area remains under evaluation. The area also incorporates an interesting transition to more elevated base metal contents associated with the northern vein systems. Work to develop a better understanding of the deeper polymetallic potential of the licence area will be incorporated into the renewed exploration program.
Meridian Mining SE is focused on the acquisition, exploration, development and mining activities in Brazil.