Highlights
- Significant 108 Mt increase in Oakover Mineral Resource to 172 Mt at 9.9% Mn, representing 170% increase from historical resource
- Resource upgrade a result of successful drill programs completed across key Oakover deposits:
Sixty Sixer
-80% increase in Mineral Resource to 109.4 Mt at 10.1% Mn
-58.7 Mt at 10.4% Mn in Indicated category
Karen
-Maiden Mineral Resource of 40.9 Mt at 9.5% Mn
Jay Eye
-600% increase in Mineral Resource to 21.9 Mt at 9.5% Mn - 80.7 Mt at 11.2% Mn defined as massive (Domain 2) and supergene/ lateritic (Domain 5) manganese across entire Oakover project
- Total JORC reportable manganese resource across Oakover and Hill 616 projects increased by 90% to 229 Mt
- Growth in resources at Oakover are well above initial expectations and provides compelling opportunity for Firebird to establish a long-life manganese operation
- Development strategy pivot to focus and evaluate establishing a 20+ year operation to develop a significant manganese production hub
- Firebird to commence Scoping Studies shortly, with completion of Manganese Ore Study expected in June quarter and Sulphate Study in September quarter
Firebird Metals Limited (ASX: FRB, ´Firebird’ or the Companyµ) is pleased to announce a significant milestone with the Company delivering a 170% increase in Resource at its flagship Oakover Project, following successful completion of a 233-hole, 10,145m reverse circulation percussion (RCP) drill program at Sixty Sixer, Jay Eye and Karen deposits.
The Oakover resource has grown to 172 Mt @ 9.9% Mn (7% Mn cut-off) from 64 Mt @ 10% Mn (8 % Mn cutoff). Importantly 58.7 Mt at 10.4 % Mn at the Sixty Sixer deposit is now in the Indicated category.
RESOURCE UPGRADE OVERVIEW
Firebird commenced and completed broad scale drilling programs across the Sixty Sixer, Jay Eye and Karen deposits, with the primary objective of growing the Mineral Resource at Oakover during the second half
of 2021.
A 233-hole, 10,145m RCP infill and extensional drilling campaign commenced in August 2021 and was completed in 3 months across the Sixty Sixer, Karen and Jay Eye deposits, delivering excellent results.
Following receipt of all assay and geophysical results from the drill programs, CSA Global Pty Ltd (CSA Global) was engaged by Firebird to prepare a Mineral Resource estimate (MRE) for Oakover, which lies within Exploration Licence E52/3577.
The MRE is based on the results obtained from a total of 400 drill holes (20,089.8 m) comprising 391 (19,802.2 m) reverse circulation percussion (RCP) and 9 (287.6 m) diamond drilling (DD) holes drilled between 2010 and 2021.
Drilling, logging and sampling defined six geological domains for Sixty Sixer, Jay Eye and Karen. Domains 1, 4 and 6 are background zones comprising the mixed shale, ferruginous manganese shale, shale chert and other shale lithologies. Domains 2, 3 and 5 are mineralised units.
Domain 2 is a higher-grade massive manganiferous rich unit, which is reasonably continuous along and across strike, averaging approximately 15 m in thickness. Manganese grades within Domain 2 range between 10% Mn and 14% Mn.
The supergene / lateritic manganese mineralisation is a near surface (Domain 5) unit, with lenticular shale plaquettes and manganese grades up to 28%. The supergene unit averages approximately 5 m in thickness and varies between 1 m and 14 m. This mineralisation has been defined at Sixty Sixer and Karen.
Domain 3 is the lower grade basal manganiferous shale unit, located below the massive manganiferous unit averaging approximately 11 m in thickness with grades ranging between 7% Mn and 10% Mn.
DATE: 10 March 2022
SOURCE: Firebird Metals