Aim-listed base metals and uranium exploration company URU Metals announced earlier this month that it had successfully renewed the three prospecting rights encompassing its Zebediela nickel project, in Limpopo, for another two years.
The prospecting rights are held by URU Metals’ wholly owned South African subsidiary, Lesego Platinum Uitloop (LPU).
LPU has subsequently submitted an application to the Department of Mineral Resources to consolidate the three prospecting licences into one to reduce costs going forward.
Meanwhile, URU has announced a new work programme for next year, which includes drill testing potential extensions of the nickel mineralisation, infill drilling, metallurgical studies and the completion of an updated mineral resource estimate.
“This programme expands on the previous planned drilling programme, which was postponed following technical problems encountered by the drilling contractor,” the company said.
Further, the company will also investigate the potential for magnetite processing at the Zebediela oxide and sulphide zones as part of the preliminary economic assessment of the project.
URU asserted that “the potential magnetite resource in the oxide zone alone could generate revenues prior to nickel and magnetite production in the sulphide zone”.
According to the company, a sample obtained from a bulk modal analysis of a composite sample from the oxide zone showed a magnetite mass of 15.34%.
URU also announced the appointment of Richard Montjoie and Innes Buurman as exploration manager and project geologist respectively.
Montjoie holds a BSc (Hon) in geology from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), is a fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA), a member for the Society of Economic Geologists, and a registered member of the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).
Buurman holds a BSc (Hon) degree in geology from the University of the Free State, and is reading for an MSc degree in economic geology at Wits. He is also member of the GSSA and a candidate member of the SACNASP.