H&S Consultants Signed Up For Future Cabaçal Resource Estimation
Meridian Mining (TSXV: MNO) has engaged Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. to produce a Scoping Study for its Cabaçal Copper-Gold camp-scale VMS project in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
The Ccompany has also engaged H&S Consultants Pty Ltd (H &SC) to complete the future Cabaçal resource statement to a National Instrument 43-101 standard.
The Study will focus on the potential: mine layout, beneficiation circuit, tailings storage facility and the associated equipment sizing and power requirements for an open pit operation centre on the historical Cu-Au Cabaçal mine.
The results of the Study will form the basis for future technical, operational, and economic studies normal for the development of a modern mining project. The future resource estimation from H&SC will be compiled using historical data and include the results of the ongoing 10,000m verification and resource extension drilling programmes at Cabaçal.
Highlights:
• Ausenco and H&SC engaged to advance Meridian’s Cabaçal Cu-Au project;
• Scoping study on Cabaçal’s future mine plan and beneficiation requirements to be initiated by
Ausenco;
• Highly experienced resource estimation group H&S Consultants engaged to complete future
Cabaçal NI-43-101 statement for resource estimation; and
• Meridian planning for Cabaçal’s long term future by association with industry leaders.
The company is continuing the success at Cabaçal in replicating the historical drill results from BP Minerals & Rio Tinto’s 70,000m drill campaign, including highlighted results of: CD-004 1 returned 15.9m @ 3.3% Cu, 0.7g/t Au, 15.7g/t Ag & 0.6% Zn from 148.6m; CD-003 2 returned 58.6m @ 0.6% Cu, 0.9g/t Au, 1.7g/t Ag, & 0.2% Zn from 110.0m;CD-009 3 returned 66.1m @ 0.6% Cu, 0.8g/t Au, 1.8g/t Ag from 86.9m; CD-013 4 returned 94.0m @ 0.6% Cu, 0.1g/t Au, 1.5g/t Ag from 8.0m; and CD-017 5 returned 46.0m @ 0.8% Cu, 0.3g/t Au, 3.4g/t Ag from 29.0m.
CEO and President, Dr Adrian McArthur, said the decision has been made to engage with the internationally respected engineering, construction and procurement firm, Ausenco and the resource estimation group H&SC to advance Cabaçal towards the inaugural reports that will drive its development.
Further statistical replication of the Cabaçal drill hole database is needed for it to be usable in the future resource estimation, however the company sees the results to date to be sufficient to launch the next phase even as the current 10,000-drill program is only 50% complete.
Dr McArthur said the company and its management have historical professional relations with these two groups which it sees as greatly mitigating project execution risk. Based on the results of the Study, expected in the 4th Quarter 2021 the company envisages launching further early contractor involvement by 1st Quarter 2022.
With the progression of the current drill programme, surface electromagnetic surveys and the expectation that an increased drill programme will be needed, the forecast for the first resource statement is projected to be during the 2nd Quarter 2022.
“We are pleased to announce the appointment of H&S Consultants and Ausenco to support studies on the advanced Cabaçal Cu-Au project as it progresses through the drill definition programme,” Dr McArthur said.
“H&SC has extensive experience in resource estimation with a track record of producing cost-effective resource estimates (including those that has incorporated the use of historical data), ready for mine design and pit optimisation and are engaged in projects worldwide.
“It has personnel capable of acting as Qualified Persons under the NI 43-101 standard and has provided QP services for 4 NI 43-101 reports within the past 12 months. Ausenco is a global company providing consulting, engineering, project delivery and asset operations, management and optimisation solutions to the mining sectors with recent mine design and build in Brazil.
“These appointments reflect our increasing confidence in the opportunity Cabaçal represents, with drilling having confirmed thick layers of disseminated, stringer and semi-massive Cu-Au-Ag mineralisation around and extending outwards from the selective underground workings of the historical mine, operated by BP Minerals and RTZ.
“The ongoing drill programme will involve the drilling of twin holes, but an increasing focus will be on infill drilling in the more sparsely drilled up-dip and strike extensions of the deposit, and initiation of work on testing regional satellite targets near the mine and in the broader mine corridor.”
For further information please visit: https://meridianmining.co/news/
