Ivanhoe’s Kipushi zinc mine in DRC officially reopens
The restart marked exactly a century since the mine first went into production.
SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN–(Marketwire – Sept. 8, 2011) – Great Western Minerals Group (TSX VENTURE:GWG) (OTCQX:GWMGF) (“GWMG”) is pleased to announce the selection of Drillcorp Africa (Pty) Ltd. (“Drillcorp”) as the drill contractor for the upcoming exploration and resource evaluation program at the Company’s Steenkampskraal Rare Earth Element (“REE”) project in South Africa.
Drillcorp is a highly experienced, South African-based drilling team that has been in business throughout Africa since 1988. With 45 rigs currently operating throughout South Africa, Drillcorp provides diamond core drilling to depths of 3,000 meters along with reverse circulation, underground, and percussion drilling services.
The first objective of the program, which will be fully underway by September 14, is to provide geological information, metallurgical characterization, and assay data in support of a fully compliant National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”) resource estimate report on potential ore material stockpiled at surface as well as underground in-situ material. The second objective is to expand the resources at Steenkampskraal through testing the down-dip extension of the main structure as well as full investigation of the encasing host rock mineralization.
GWMG President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Engdahl said, “This is yet another pivotal moment in the progress of GWMG at Steenkampskraal with the launch of an exploration program at site designed to confirm previous data and produce an NI 43-101 resource estimate.”
John Pearson, MSc, P.Geo, Vice-President Exploration for GWMG, is the qualified person responsible for reviewing the contents of this news release.
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is an integrated Rare Earths processor. Its specialty alloys are used in the battery, magnet and aerospace industries. Produced at the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries Less Common Metals Limited in Birkenhead, U.K. and Great Western Technologies Inc. in Troy, Michigan, these alloys contain aluminium, nickel, cobalt and Rare Earth Elements. As part of the Company’s vertical integration strategy, GWMG also holds 100% equity ownership in Rare Earth Extraction Co. Limited, which owns a 74% equity interest in the Steenkampskraal Mine. In addition to a planned exploration program at Steenkampskraal, GWMG also holds interests in four active Rare Earth exploration and development properties in North America.
Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements (often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “expect”, “may”, “could”, “anticipate” or “will” and similar expressions) may describe expectations, opinions or guidance that are not statements of fact and which may be based upon information provided by third parties. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions, expectations and estimates of management of GWMG as at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to, the results of the exploration program, a resource estimate and commencement of production at Steenkampskraal, satisfaction of the conditions precedent with respect to GWMG’s offtake agreement, receipt of all required approvals (including those relating to the commencement of production at the Steenkampskraal mine) and risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond the control of GWMG, risks associated with the industry in general, commodity prices and exchange rate changes, operational risks associated with exploration, development and production operations, delays or changes in plans, risks associated with the uncertainty of reserve or resource estimates, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. In light of the risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking information. Although GWMG believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements set out in this press release or incorporated herein by reference are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The forward-looking statements of GWMG contained in this News Release, or incorporated herein by reference, are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement and the risk factors contained in GWMG’s current annual information form available at www.sedar.com.
CUSIP: 39141Y 10 3
Neither 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.
Image from Great Western Minerals Group showing Steenkampskraal REE Mine, South Africa
