Amur outlines big plans for 2017

East Russia-focussed nickel-copper sulphide mineral exploration and resource development company Amur Minerals Corporation announced its plans for the 2017 field programme on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said the programme would be comprised of the continuation of exploration drilling and the completion of additional site investigation work related to engineering work for consideration in the development of Kun-Manie.

A total of 15,000 metres of resource conversion and resource expansion drilling was planned to be completed at both Ikenskoe-Sobolevsky and Kubuk.

Sufficient drill supplies for completion of 20,000 metres had been purchased and were available for additional drilling should weather permit.

At KUB a total of 10,000 metres of drilling was planned for the conversion of a 10.9 million tonne Inferred resource block to that of Indicated.

Averaging 0.73% nickel and 0.20% copper, the total nickel tonnage was projected to be 80,700 with the total copper tonnage being 21,800.

A minimum of seven metallurgical bulk sample collection holes would also be completed and resource expansion through step out drilling is planned.

At IKEN, 5,000 metres of resource expansion drilling and metallurgical sample collection was planned.

Located at the south and eastern limits of the drill identified mineral limits, step out drilling would be undertaken in the direction of the Kubuk deposit located approximately three kilometres to the east.

New capital equipment purchases had been made and the equipment had been delivered to the company's Ulak railway station for onward transfer to the site over the winter ice road, the board reported.

The newly acquired equipment would enable the company to undertake additional engineering work related to hydrological studies at the proposed process plant site, tailing impoundment area and adjacent to the Maly Kurumkon-Flangovy mining operation.

Amur said the 2017 field programme included resource drilling as well as a substantial effort focused on the acquisition of additional information related to the development of the project allowing for consideration in the engineering and construction evaluation of the Kun-Manie project.

To accomplish the objectives for the season, the company said it purchased additional mobile equipment to facilitate all aspects of the programme as the company ramped up to a production decision.

“As we advance the project, we have begun to shift from resource drilling to a more focused site engineering effort,” said CEO Robin Young.

“We will continue our exploration drilling intended to convert as much as 50% of the presently defined Inferred resource to Indicated and evaluate the potential for resource expansion at and between Ikenskoe-Sobolevsky and Kubuk where a large untested three kilometre long target exists.”

Young said planning 15,000 metres of drilling for the season, Amur would be stocking the site to allow for 20,000 meters in case the weather permitted the completion of a longer drill season as it experienced last year.

“The newly acquired equipment will allow us to locate the needed sources of water for use in the treatment of our ores, identify potable water sources, and identify the mine dewatering requirements at the Maly Kurumkon-Flangovy deposit which will likely be the first deposit to be mined.”