Pre-drilling Sampling
Published: 19/05/2005, 10:00
Churchill Mining plc 19 May 2005 Churchill Mining completes pre-drilling sampling programme High grade manganese confirmed Churchill Mining Plc is pleased to announce that it has completed its initial pre-drilling exploration programme at its South Woodie Woodie project in Western Australia with the release of laboratory test results today confirming the project's prospectivity with high-grade manganese samples being returned. Churchill's exploration team is currently in the process of designing the company's drilling programme. This is being done in conjunction with work being finalised on regional dolomite targeting. Churchill's geological team sampled 125 locations within the company's first South Woodie Woodie target area, Enacheddong Creek, and established the following: 1. Soil sampling under soil cover along the southern extension of the main outcropping zone returned manganese results 40 times higher than the soil background level, indicating a high probability level of manganese mineralisation extending under the thin soil cover. These results, together with further rock sampling to the south, has extended the known strike of manganese mineralisation from 700m to over 1500m, which is still open to the south. 2. The Enacheddong Creek anomaly returned high-grade material at surface, with rock chips grading up to 51.5% manganese (a graphic showing the distribution of these rock chips can be viewed at www.churchillmining.com), with low concentrations of iron, phosphorus and silica. Manganese mineralisation that contains high concentrations of these deleterious elements is not mined for export by local producers. Of the 74 rock samples collected 77% of the samples had manganese percentage of greater than 30%. 3. The newly identified anomaly of at least 300 metres in length located approximately 500 metres to the east of the Enacheddong Creek main discovery zone returned encouraging results including rock chip samples of up to 40.3% manganese. The company is also using aerial photography, satellite imagery and other techniques to determine the extent of dolomite rock within the project area. Work by others has determined that high-grade manganese ore deposits can be hosted within the dolomite, associated with favorable structural settings. Updates on Churchill's regional targeting progress will follow in due course. Churchill Mining Plc is a resources company dedicated to focusing on projects associated with the steel and metal manufacturing industries. The company's South Woodie Woodie project is situated in the East Pilbara manganese region of Western Australia, some 50km south of the Consolidated Minerals/Pilbara Manganese Woodie Woodie manganese mine. Churchill's project area comprises of 490 square kilometres of manganese tenements, granted or under application, details of which can be found at www.churchillmining.com For further information please contact - Churchill Mining Plc Paul Mazak - Joint Managing Director Tel: +61 (0) 419 906 060 James Hamilton - Joint Managing Director Tel: +61 (0) 402 186 106 Ruegg & Co Limited Brett Miller Tel: 020 7584 3663 Midas Investment Management Limited Mark Sheppard Tel: 0870 121 1445 The information in the announcement above is based on information compiled by Mr L. Thorne, Geological Services Manager at Ravensgate Pty Ltd, who is a Member of The Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, with over 14 years experience in the mining industry. Mr Thorne qualifies as a Competent Person as defined in the 1999 edition of the "Australian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore reserves". Mr Thorne consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears above. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange