Amur Minerals begins 2017 drill programme early

The AIM-traded firm said that for the second year in a row, drilling had been initiated well ahead of the planned 1 June 2017 start date, with this year's drill season commencing on 5 May.

It said the 2017 field programme was “fully stocked” with fuel and drill supplies, having been strategically located along the 16 kilometre length of the detailed exploration and production licence.

Distribution of those supplies and materials would allow for maximum flexibility to undertake drilling over the course of the 2017 season.

Low cost-drilling would be completed using two company-owned drill rigs, the board said, with LF90 assigned to the Kubuk deposit which had deeper drill targets.

The LF70 rig was assigned to the Ikenskoe / Sobolevsky deposit.

Amur said the cost per metre for drilling during the 2016 season was $40, which included labour, drill consumables and analytical results.

Similar costs were anticipated for this year, which reportedly ranked among the lowest within the mineral drilling industry.

At both deposits, drilling would target the conversion of inferred resource to that of indicated.

Step out drilling for resource expansion and metallurgical sample collection was also planned.

Amur said the successful identification of new mineralisation was planned to be infill drilled, at a spacing allowing for the new mineral to be categorised at the JORC (2012) resource class of indicated and its inclusion in the mining ore reserve evaluation.

“With our 2017 field season commencing ahead of schedule, matching the earliest start on record, our team is highly motivated to match last year's incredible results, which provided major upgrades to the potential of Kun-Manie,” said CEO Robin Young.

“Resource expansion and the substantial uplift in our average nickel and other metal grades available for the determination of mineable reserves have set us a high bar to match.”

Young said the company looked forward to reporting its results and achievements as they developed over the course of this drill season.

“It is with great interest and anticipation that we are now beginning to test the two largest remaining targets as well as move toward increasing our existing 80 million tonne measured and indicated resource inventory.

“We are also pleased to have reached the point where we are able to complete drill tasks which are intended to lead to operating permits specific to the mining operations.

“This addition reflects that we no longer consider Amur to be an explorer, but a company with a project that can be classified as a world class operation.”