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TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Pele Mountain
Resources Inc. (TSX Venture: GEM; OTCQX: GOLDF)
("Pele" or the "Company") today announced initial
results from its core resampling program at its Eco Ridge Mine Rare
Earths and Uranium Project ("Eco Ridge" or the
"Project") in Elliot Lake,
Ontario.
Pele has discovered that rare earth oxide ("REO")
mineralization outside the Main Conglomerate Bed ("MCB")
extends much farther than previously realized, with one drill hole
revealing more than 140 metres of continuous mineralization.
Pele has also learned that Total REO grades maintain elevated
levels well into the MCB Hanging Wall, averaging more than 750
grams per tonne (g/t) (1 g/t = 1 ppm) over more than 20 metres as
measured from the base of the MCB, through the MCB, and into the
MCB Hanging Wall.
Pele's recently announced NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic
Assessment ("PEA") for Eco Ridge is based solely on
mineralization from within the MCB, which averages 2.7 metres in
thickness. All NI 43-101 mineral resources reported at Eco
Ridge to-date are also from within the MCB. The recent
discovery of significant REO mineralization in core from the MCB
Hanging Wall prompted Pele to launch a staged program to expand the
sampling range of recent and historic drill core with an objective
of increasing the size of the Eco Ridge deposit.
Pele President and CEO
Al Shefsky stated, "This is a
remarkable discovery. The expansion of rare earths
mineralization, by up to several multiples, presents the potential
for a significantly larger operation at Eco Ridge. In view of
the increasing importance of critical REO, Pele is advancing new
work initiatives with particular focus on optimizing REO
production. Along with our recent successful lateral expansion of
the deposit through step-out drilling and our ongoing testing into
increased REO recoveries from monazite using an acid-baking
process, we are rapidly advancing studies on opportunities to
improve our already robust PEA."
Results of the first-stage, 14-hole, expanded sampling program
reveal the following:
- Sampling the MCB only (the historical standard practice)
yielded an average of 1805 g/t Total REO over 2.75 metres across
the 14 holes. As expected, this is consistent with the
average grade and thickness of the Indicated Resources at Eco Ridge
of 1640 g/t Total REO over 2.70 metres.
- Sampling from the base of the MCB, through the MCB, and into
the Hanging Wall averaged 964 g/t (over a true thickness of 11.1
metres, an increase in Total REO content of 140 percent compared to
the MCB alone.
- Sampling from the base of the MCB into the Hanging Wall
averaged 766 g/t of Total REO over a true thickness of 21.6 metres,
an increase in Total REO content of 260 percent compared to the MCB
alone.
- Two of the 14 holes were sampled more extensively. Hole
PM-144 returned 297 g/t Total REO over 85.43 metres (MCB plus MCB
Hanging Wall). Hole PM-195 returned 373 g/t Total REO over
125.27 metres (MCB plus MCB Hanging Wall) and 361 g/t over 140
metres including the sampling both below and above the MCB. Click
here for total REO results for hole PM-195.
- The relative distribution of Individual REO within the Total
REO in the MCB Hanging Wall remains similar to the relative
distribution of the Individual REO in the MCB, suggesting that
monazite is the primary REO mineral throughout the entire
mineralized zone. Please see Pele's press release dated July
5, 2011 for details on Individual REO distribution within the
MCB.
- Every sample from every hole contained REO
mineralization. The expanded sampling intervals in all 14
holes ended in REO mineralization.
Click here for complete results of the first stage, 14-hole
expanded sampling program including individual rare earth oxide
grades.
The objective of Pele's expanded core sampling program is to
evaluate the extent of vertical REO mineralization at Eco Ridge.
Core sampling in the Elliot Lake
camp has historically been designed for optimizing
U3O8 mineralization and not REO
mineralization. Accordingly, Pele's program is systematically
testing considerable wall rock above and below the MCB to determine
the extent of the REO mineralization for the first time. As
reported with the Eco Ridge PEA, Roscoe Postle Associates
("RPA") regards the expansion of mineral resources as a
potential opportunity to improve project economics at Eco
Ridge.
Pele's Eco Ridge PEA, prepared by RPA, and based solely on the
mineralization within the MCB, demonstrates
Pele's potential to become a profitable producer of REO and
U3O8. Based on the PEA, the most important
REO by value at Eco Ridge are Nd2O3,
Dy2O3 and Y2O3. The PEA
base case forecasts cumulative production of 10.7-million pounds of
Total REO and 24.9-million pounds of U3O8
over a 15-year mine life with pre-tax cash flow of US$1.28-billion, a positive NPV of $644-million (at a 7.5% discount rate), and an
IRR of 45-percent.1 Among emerging Canadian REO
developers, Pele's forecast operating costs at Eco Ridge are, by
far, the lowest at just $46 per
tonne. For more details on the PEA, see Pele's press release dated
September 7, 2011.
In February 2011, RPA reported an
updated NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate for Eco Ridge, as shown
in the table below. This resource estimate includes
mineralization from the average 2.7-metre thick MCB only and was
calculated prior to the recent drill program, which successfully
expanded the deposit to the north.
Table 1
Mineral Resources |
Pele Mountain
Resources Inc. - Eco Ridge Mine Project |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Classification |
Tonnes |
U3O8 |
U3O8 |
TREO5 |
TREO |
('000s) |
(%) |
('000 lbs) |
(%) |
('000 lbs) |
Indicated |
14,312 |
0.048 |
15,182 |
0.164 |
51,859 |
Inferred |
33,121 |
0.043 |
31,444 |
0.132 |
96,352 |
Notes to Table 1:
- CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Resources.
- The Qualified Person for this Mineral Resource estimate is
Tudorel Ciuculescu, P.Geo.
- Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.028%
U3O8.
- Mineral Resources are estimated using an average long-term
uranium price of US$60 per lb, and a
C$:US$ exchange rate of 0.95:1.00.
- Total Rare Earth Oxides include of La2O3,
CeO2, Pr6O11,
Nd2O3, Sm2O3,
Eu2O3, Gd2O3,
Tb4O7, Dy2O3,
Ho2O3, Er2O3,
Tm2O3, Yb2O3, and
Lu2O3. Y2O3 and
Sc2O3 are also included in TREO.
- The resource wireframe at Eco Ridge contains both Indicated and
Inferred U3O8 and REO resources within the
near surface portion of the Main Conglomerate Bed.
- The U3O8 resource estimate is based on a
total of 237 drill holes. These comprise 152 recent drill holes
drilled by Pele Mountain between
2006 and 2009, and 85 historic drill holes drilled between 1954 and
1974.
- The REO resource estimate is based on a total of 123 recent
drill holes. 21 out of the 123 drill holes have not been assayed
for Tm and Lu, and five other drill holes have not been assayed for
Sc.
- In the Inferred category, there are nine drill holes that have
REE assays. Four drill holes out of these nine have not been
analyzed for Tm and Lu.
Drill core samples were analyzed at Activation Laboratories
Ltd., an independent and ISO 17025 accredited laboratory. The
Company performs routine Quality Assurance and Quality Control
procedures on laboratory assay results.
The technical information contained in this press release has
been reviewed and approved by Tudorel Ciuculescu, P.Geo of RPA, an
independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101.
About Pele
Pele Mountain Resources, the leading developer in Canada's first rare earths mining camp, is
focused on the sustainable development of its 100-percent owned Eco
Ridge Mine Rare Earths and Uranium Project. Eco Ridge is one of
very few North American rare earths deposits that has a NI 43-101
Preliminary Economic Assessment with robust economics and is
located in Elliot Lake, the only
Canadian mining camp to have ever achieved commercial REO
production. With well-understood geology, mineralogy, and
metallurgy, excellent regional infrastructure, and strong local
support, Eco Ridge is an ideal location for a safe, secure, and
reliable long-term supply of REO and U3O8.
Pele also holds interests in a portfolio of Northern Ontario gold properties at Highland
and Ardeen. Pele's shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange
under the symbol "GEM" and on the OTCQX under the symbol
"GOLDF".
- The PEA is preliminary in nature. It includes inferred mineral
resources which are considered too speculative geologically to have
the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them
to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty
that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Some of the
statements contained in this release are forward-looking
statements, such as estimates and statements that describe Pele's
future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect
that Pele or management expects a stated condition or result to
occur. Since forward-looking statements address future events and
conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and
uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially
from those currently anticipated in such statements. The economic
viability of the 43-101 mineral resource at Pele's Elliot Lake
Project has not yet been demonstrated by a preliminary feasibility
study.
SOURCE Pele Mountain Resources Inc.
Video with caption: "Pele Mountain
President discusses New Rare Earth discovery at Eco Ridge
Mine Project.". Video available at:
http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111013_C3826_VIDEO_EN_4460.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111013_C3826_PHOTO_EN_4460.jpg&clientName=Pele%20Mountain%20Resources%20Inc%2E&caption=Pele%20Mountain%20President%20discusses%20New%20Rare%20Earth%20discovery%20at%20Eco%20Ridge%20Mine%20Project%2E&title=PELE%20MOUNTAIN%20RESOURCES%20INC%2E%20%2D%20Pele%20Mountain%20Announces%20Discovery