9 May
2024
Tertiary Minerals plc
("Tertiary" or the "Company")
MUPALA COPPER PROJECT, ZAMBIA
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT BRIEF/WORK PROGRAMME
APPROVAL
The Company is pleased to announce
the approval of the Environmental Project Brief ("EPB") for its
Mupala Copper Project (32139-HQ-LEL or the "Licence") which now
clears the way for the start of mineral exploration activities at
Mupala.
Key
Points
·
The Mupala Copper Project is located 12 km west of
the Company's Mukai Project and adjacent to the Anglo American/Arc
Minerals joint venture project where Anglo American has a right to
earn a 70% interest through expenditure of $88.5
million.
·
Located in the prospective Domes Region of
northwest Zambia on the west side of the Kabompo Dome which is host
to multiple producing copper and nickel mines including First
Quantum Mineral's Sentinel mining complex which adjoins the
Company's Mukai Project.
·
Letter of Consent received from Sailunga Chiefdom
during tribal engagement conducted in February 2024 and EPB
approval now received from the Zambia Environmental Management
Agency.
·
Recently acquired historical data has identified
multiple copper-in-soil anomalies within the Licence.
·
Work programmes expected to commence next month
and will include soil sampling across the Licence to verify the
identified soil anomalies and assist with surface regolith
mapping.
Patrick Cheetham, Executive
Chairman of Tertiary Minerals plc said:
"We are delighted to report the approval of the EPB which,
alongside the receipt of the Letter of Consent from the Sailunga
Chiefdom, allows us to commence exploration at the Mupala
Project.
"A
recent review of historical exploration conducted within the
Licence area and more recent exploration and mine development on
adjacent areas by majors such as First Quantum Minerals and Anglo
American highlights the prospectivity of the
Licence.
"The Licence was granted to the Company in competition with
several other applicants, including Anglo American Corporation
which has now started exploration that will include diamond
drilling on adjacent licences.
"The strategic position of our Mupala and Mukai Projects in
the Kabompo Dome region and the Konkola West Project in the
traditional Copperbelt, where KoBold Metals is currently drilling,
places Tertiary at the heart of Zambia's mining boom and we are
looking forward to providing updates on our exploration season as
it unfolds."
Further Information:
Tertiary Minerals plc:
|
Patrick Cheetham, Executive
Chairman
|
+44 (0) 1625 838
679
|
SP
Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Nominated Adviser and Broker
|
Richard Morrison
|
+44 (0) 203 470 0470
|
Caroline Rowe
|
|
Peterhouse Capital Limited
Joint Broker
|
Lucy Williams
|
+ 44 (0) 207 469 0930
|
Duncan Vasey
|
|
Market Abuse Regulation
The information contained within
this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside
information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU)
No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ('MAR'). Upon the publication
of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ('RIS'),
this inside information is now considered to be in the public
domain.
Detailed Information
Mupala Exploration Licence
32139-HQ-LEL covers 41.2 km2 and is located in the
Kabompo Dome region in the Northwest Province of Zambia. It is held
by the Company's 96% owned subsidiary Tertiary Minerals (Zambia)
Limited.
The Licence is underlain by the
prospective Lower Roan Subgroup and directly adjacent to the Anglo
American/Arc Minerals joint venture area where Anglo American has
the right to earn a 70% interest through expenditure of $88.5
million. Approximately 12 km to the east lies the Company's Mukai
Copper Project and First Quantum Minerals' Trident Project which is
host to the Enterprise Copper and Sentinel Nickel Mines.
Existing geological maps indicate
that the Licence covers some 16 km strike length of the main target
horizon (Lower Roan Subgroup). Mwinilunga Mines Ltd conducted soil
and stream sediment sampling in the area in the 1960s and
identified a number of copper in soil anomalies which provide an
initial focus for the Company's exploration of the Licence
area.
The development of the Environmental
Project Brief ("EPB") was initiated shortly after grant of the
Licence and upon completion of other prerequisite conditions such
as pegging of the Licence area by the Mines Safety Department.
Advanced drafts of the EPB were submitted to and accepted by the
Zambia Environmental Management Agency ("ZEMA") in late
2023.
Formal submission of the final EPB
was required to be accompanied by a Letter of Consent from the
Sailunga Chiefdom as traditional owners of the land and surface
rights. A Letter of Consent was provided to Tertiary staff (Project
Manager and Director) during tribal engagement which was held at
the court of Senior Chief Sailunga in Sailunga Village,
Northwestern Province. Upon receipt of the Letter of Consent the
EPB was formally submitted to ZEMA who conducted field verification
inspections in conjunction with the Mines Safety Department in late
April 2023 and the EPB was approved shortly after.
The Company's initial field
exploration at the Mupala Project will include soil sampling across
the Licence to verify the soil anomalies identified in the
historical exploration data and assist with surface regolith
mapping.