Mining

Akora Resources confirms potential for direct shipping iron ore from Bekisopa project

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By Imelda Cotton - 
AKORA Resources ASX AKO Bekisopa DSO tonnage iron silica alumina

Akora Resources’ assays from drilling at Bekisopa included a 1m interval grading 69.3% iron.

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Results from drilling at Akora Resources’ (ASX: AKO) high-priority Bekisopa project in central Madagascar have continued to identify a near-surface, high-grade weathered massive iron zone of potential direct shipping ore and significant iron mineralisation at depth.

Drilling was designed to understand the iron mineralisation extent to the southwest in an area of high magnetic intensity, as well as mineralisation in the very south and central areas of the main Bekisopa tenement.

All nine holes hit iron from surface and several intercepted the mineralisation at depth with “excellent and readily upgradable” grades confirming potential for a significant resource.

Industry benchmark

Average head grades were equal to, or better than, the industry benchmark of 62% while low impurity levels averaged 5.2% silicon dioxide, 2.8% aluminium oxide, 0.11% phosphorus and 0.04% sulphur.

Best assays were 8.2m at 68.2% iron, 1.4% silica and 1,6% alumina; 4.5m at 65.5% iron, 3.7% silica and 2.7% alumina; and 9.2m at 64.5% iron, 3.3% silica and 1.0% alumina.

Rock chip sampling showing an average iron grade of 66.7% could underpin a 10-year mine life at up to 5 million tonnes per year for high-grade lump and fines products.

Processing trials conducted in April at ALS Laboratories in Perth showed massive and coarse disseminated mineralisation averaging 61.8% iron could be readily upgraded to 68.3% (at 81% recovery) by conventional crushing to -2 millimetres and using magnetic separation.

First phase of mining

Akora said the results indicate potential for the zone to form the first phase of mining activities at Bekisopa due to the characteristics being equivalent to direct shipping ore.

It suggested mining could commence initially from outcrop and then from within the expansive iron zone, with simple crushing and screening replacing complex processing.

Previous exploration

The latest assays validate the outcome of last year’s exploration program, which returned “better than expected results” for grade, width and depth.

Those results confirmed the discovery of a near-surface, high-grade iron target over 4km of strike, containing massive and semi-massive magnetite-hematite.