Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Who are we?
3
3 6
Contents
International Consultants
CSA Global
8
8
9
10 10 12 15 16 18 18 20 22 24 26 26 28 30
References
32
1
Introduction
Who are we?
EcoPhoenix was incorporated in Nigeria during 2005 in anticipation of the radical changes in Government policy towards development of the solid mineral sector. EcoPhoenix has common shareholders with ICIL, a company with over 30 years of operating experience running various industrial and commercial projects in Nigeria under the Chairmanship of Mr Michael Quinn.
The EcoPhoenix corporate strategy is to:
Hold licences with clear and exclusive title Identify deposits of commercially viable grade and tonnage Add significant value to those deposits through technical evaluation thus providing shareholders with highly leveraged rates of return on capital Explore and develop through the application of internationally accepted techniques with resources and reserves declared to JORC standard Operate to the highest international safety, technical and environmental standards
Introduction
Managing Director
Bill Hussey ACSM, MNSME
Consulting Director
Prof. Ibrahim Garba BSc, MSc, PhD, DIC, MIMM, MNMGS
Formerly General Manager of Ashanti Goldfields, Ghana; Chairman of Bakyrchik Gold JV, Kazakhstan and General Director of Kazminco Ltd, Kazakhstan.
Professor of Economic Geology at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria and Founding Director of the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office.
Introduction
Geological Director
Dr Micky Brown BSc, PhD, FGS
Chief Geologist
Ken Douglas BSc
A Chartered Mining Engineer, formerly VP Business Development for a Canadian copper producer ($4 billion market cap) and COO for a copper/cobalt exploration and development company in the DRC.
Geologist specialist in GIS and remote sensing technologies with Mappa Mundi Geological Consultants, UK; Anglo American Corporation, South Africa and Hunting Geology and Geophysics, UK.
Formerly Exploration Manager with Ashanti Goldfields in Ethiopia, Project Manager with Ghana National Manganese and Consultant with CSA Consultants, Ireland.
Introduction
Gold
Birnin Gwari goldfield Licence EL 735, Birnin Gwari, 332km2 Licence EL 2197, Birnin Bwari North, 200km2 Licence EL 1170, Birnin Gwari South, 180km2 Other Goldfields Licence EL 707, Kwaga, 17km2 Licence EL 898, Alawa, 179km2 Licence EL 1070, Gandau, 174km2
Licence summary
Eleven exclusively held precious metal, industrial and energy minerals, and base metal licences, including gold, silver, niobium, cryolite, uranium, lead, zinc and copper.
Introduction
Locations
Gold projects
Gandau 1 Birnin Gwari North Birnin Gwari Birnin Gwari South Kwaga Alawa
Base metals
Lead, zinc, copper and silver
International consultants
CSA Global
EcoPhoenix make extensive use of independent expert consultants in geological exploration and prospect development. The Information Memorandum and Kaffo Valley Report included with this Investor Brochure have been prepared by CSA Global, an internationallyrecognised minerals consultancy based in Australia and the UK. Experts from CSA Global carry out project evaluations and appraisals for clients worldwide, they ensure that exploration activities are performed to the highest standards and provide the best possible on-the-job training for EcoPhoenixs operating staff.
Top: Rick Cavaney of CSA Global training Nigerian staff in sampling and logging techniques. Bottom: Nigerian graduates engaged in fieldwork.
8
Exploration opportunities
The gold prospects in this area present a unique opportunity in an emerging West African Orogenic Gold Province. A system of this scale has the potential to host multiple million ounces of gold within discrete structural zones. There is evidence of significant production from artisanal and colonial mining and that gold grades from 5-1,000g/t have been recorded. One metre channel samples taken from a 25m deep exploration shaft have returned gold assays at 67.05g/t (repeat assay at 100g/t), 62.12g/t, 40.64g/t and 21.2g/t. Grab samples from the same shaft have returned 73.63 and 23.53g/t.
CSA Global, Information Memorandum March 2009
10
Locations
Geology map of central northern Nigeria showing locations of the EcoPhoenix Gold projects (1:2 million scale geological map of Nigeria).
EcoPhoenix licences
10
20
40
Main picture: An EcoPhoenix Nemek RC drill rig in action at Birnin Gwari. Top right: View up the exploration shaft at Birnin Gwari from the -5m level; drives extend to the north and south along the mineralised trend.
Middle right: Close-up of a Birnin Gwari goldfield sample showing extreme variation in grain size and shape, from the 3mm nugget shown on the right down to the limit of visibility at 0.1 0.05mm. The small black and brown grains are magnetite and various iron oxides/hydroxides. There may also be some fine grained sulphides. Bottom right: Collation, weighing and logging of samples.
Recent work
When the shaft was originally sunk in the 1990s a 30kg composite grab sample yielded an assay of 294g/t2. Subsequent sampling programmes by Gabako in 20063 and Willan in 20074 yielded best values of 40g/t and 21g/t respectively from 40-50cm long channel samples. Drilling near the exploration shaft at Birnin Gwari has so far produced typical results for a gold deposit with variable grain size and nuggety distribution. Assays are taken every metre from rock chips produced by the RC percussion drill rig. Average values over a 30m width are encouraging and would not preclude open pit extraction methods, especially as drilling with standard fire assay typically understates the overall gold content in such deposits5. Work is on-going to identify the best sampling and assay techniques to reveal the true potential value of the Birnin Gwari goldfield.
12
13
Satellite Imagery
This portion of the Quickbird satellite image over the Birnin Gwari goldfield shows the mapped veins overlain in yellow. The gap in the mapped veins near the centre is where the exploration shaft is situated. This is a 500m long gap where thick lateritic soils have prevented artisanal access to the mineralisation. The exploration shaft and preliminary drilling show that the mineralisation is continuous through this zone at depth.
Birnin Gwari shows similarities to other producing orogenic gold districts and provides an excellent opportunity for discovery of at least a medium to high grade (5-15g/t) shear hosted gold deposit.
CSA Global
Gold Veins N
0 500 1000
Metres
14 EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities
The mineralised zone is at least 8.5km long and up to 500m wide Very high grade veins can occur at up to 1000+ g/t Au The gold grains vary from very coarse to very fine
Currently there is not sufficient information for a full evaluation of the Birnin Gwari goldfield, but other deposits also within Pan-African age schist belts include:
Sukari Hill Deposit, Egypt Overall reserves of 12 million oz worth $10.8 billion* Amesmessa Deposit, Algeria Overall reserves of 1.1 million oz worth $990 million*
There are also deposits of different age but with similar lithological/structural settings such as the Bendigo Goldfield in Victoria State, Australia, which produced 22 million ounces of gold worth $19.8 billion*. *gold price of $900 per oz.
Top right: Artisanal workings along narrow extremely rich gold veins in the Abuja zone. Middle right: The gold grains vary from very coarse to very fine. Bottom right: Shaft head gears on an African gold mine.
EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities 15
Alawa licence drainage, tracks and topographic map derived from satellite data. The locations of proposed stream sediment sampling points are annotated. Mapping of tracks from satellite image data will facilitate efficient routing for sample collection.
Poor tar road Tarred road Track Drainage Licence areas ELEVATION Metres asl 675 650 625 600 575 550 525 500
Artisanal workings on placer gold are extensive and miners have reported that all streams in the local area have some gold.
CSA Global Exploration on this site will include:
Maganda
Lithological and structural mapping Stream sediment geochemistry Follow-up soil geochemical grids
Location of areas of anomalous gold in soil grids will enable identification of targets for further investigation by trenching, auguring and drilling.
16
Top right: Soil and stream sediment samples being laid out to dry. Bottom right: Part of the reef excavations at Gandau 1. The metavolcanic host rocks are blockier and much harder to work for the artisanal miners than the schists at Birnin Gwari.
Work by EcoPhoenix is still at an early stage, but the outcropping vein at Kwaga has clear potential to be brought rapidly to drilling stage.
CSA Global It is planned to use geological and geochemical techniques to establish drilling targets at the Kwaga site. The primary objective will be to find extensions of the Kwaga vein to the north, as well as parallel veins.
The existence of artisanal mining and the favourable style of mineralisation suggest significant potential.
CSA Global
EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities 17
There is an exciting niobium, uranium and cryolite opportunity at Kaffo Valley with a potential local market for cryolite. Historic sampling of the Kaffo granite has returned grades of up to 0.45% Nb2O5. Based on the assessment of British Geological Survey data, there is potential for discovery of an economic orebody of greater than 40mt. A conceptual discounted cash flow model generated from these theoretical data by CSA Global predicts an NPV of US$776 million at a production rate of 2mt/y over 20 years is possible.
CSA Global, Information Memorandum March 2009 Above: Hand specimen of the Kaffo Valley granite. Niobium and uranium are in the honey-coloured mineral, pyrochlore. Cryolite is colourless to white and more difficult to distinguish from quartz or albite.
18
Locations
The Kaffo Valley licence forms part of the Ririwai ring complex located in the south of Kano State. The Gandau 2 licence is situated northeast of the Gandau 1 gold licence in the Maru Schist Belt in Zamfara State.
Licences
Kaffo Valley Gandau 2
19
CSA Global have demonstrated that a theoretical NPV of US$776 million* is possible.
LANDSAT Image of the Ririwai complex showing the location of the Kaffo Valley granite (outlined in yellow).
EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities 21
Below: The Kanoma Granite on satellite imagery forms a conspicuous eye within the Maru Schist Belt. The foliated schists wrap around the eastern margin of the solid granite massif. The blocky rocks to the southwest are the meta-volcanics that host the Gandau 1 gold deposit.
Field geological and structural mapping Stream sediment and soil geochemistry Field Gamma Ray spectrometry survey
Such an anomalous looking feature will be investigated to see if it is harbouring significant amounts of economic minerals.
0 22 EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities 1 Kilometres 2
Geological interpretation map of the Kanoma Granite and its host rocks derived from satellite imagery. A proposed Gamma Ray spectrometer survey has been laid out across the granite and its metamorphic aureole.
KG Rad 2000 KG Rad 2500 KG Rad 3000 KG Rad 3500 KG Rad 4000 KG Rad 4500 KG Rad 5000 KG Rad 5500 KG Rad 6000 KG Rad 6500 KG Rad 7000 KG Rad 7500 KG Rad 8000 KG Rad 8500 KG Rad 9000 KG Rad 95000 KG Rad 10000 KG Rad 10500 KG Rad 12000 0 0.5 1 2 Kilometres EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities 23 3 4
GEOLOGY Lithology MBgt Maru Belt older granite MBma Maru Belt metamorphic aureole MBfq Maru Belt ferruginous quartzites MBmv Maru Belt meta-volcanics MBvs Maru Belt schists ggn Basement granite-gneiss Licence areas Radiometric survey lines DRAINAGE Order 0 1 2 3 Tarred road Sand track N
Niobium consumption has increased rapidly in recent years and demand is expected to continue to increase as production of high quality and specialist steels continues to increase, especially in Asia.
CSA Global
The ferroniobium price based on US import figures has increased from ca US$8500/t during the first half of the decade, to US$9100/t in 2006 and reached nearly US$14,200/t in 2007. The benchmark contract price for Brazilian ferroniobium announced for the fourth quarter of 2008 was 5-12% higher than in the previous period, at US$43,000/t FeNb.
CSA Global
Tantalum
Tantalum has a high melting point and resistance to chemical attack meaning that it is often used as a substitute for platinum and for components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, aircraft and missiles. It is also a constituent of the capacitors used in computers, mobiles, cameras, PDAs and other electronic devices and is used in surgical equipment such as sutures, artificial joints and plates.
24
Top left: Niobiums unique properties make it suitable for use in pacemakers. Bottom left: Jet engines, like the one tested here, are manufactured using tantalum and niobium. Top right: Niobium is used in the production of super magnets used in MRI scanners. Middle right: Uranium is increasingly in demand by the nuclear industry. Bottom right: A major use of tantalum is in capacitors for electronic equipment.
Cryolite
The primary use for cryolite is as a flux in the smelting of aluminium. Investment in the Kaffo Valley Project offers the opportunity to supply Nigerian Cryolite to Nigerias ALSCON aluminium smelter in Akwa Ibom State. This project is now being re-developed under 77.5% ownership by RUSAL, 15% by the Nigerian Government and 7.5% by FerroStaal AG of Germany.
Recovery of cryolite in particular could be a significant contributor to project economies, with possible grades of up to 3.5wt %.
CSA Global
Uranium
There are 440 nuclear plants currently in operation worldwide and 133 more are being planned. Nigeria has recently announced its intention to develop two nuclear power stations for electrical power generation8.
Annual consumption: 188 million pounds U3O8 Annual production: 100 million pounds U3O8
Currently, only 17% of the worlds energy is being produced from nuclear power. The U3O8 deficit has so far been made up by converting and utilising old excess ore piles and nuclear warheads. However, worldwide energy requirements and pressure for carbon emission reduction are constantly increasing demand.
25
Initial work at Nahuta has demonstrated the presence of high grade lead, zinc, copper and silver mineralisation. This style of mineralisation has more potential for discovery of multiple high-grade deposits.
CSA Global, Information Memorandum March 2009
26
Right: Satellite image of the Nahuta licences with licence areas, state boundaries and mineralised veins overlain as GIS vector data.
Bauchi State
Locations
EcoPhoenixs three licence areas at Nahuta straddle the border between Bauchi and Taraba States. Known mineralisation in the form of lead/zinc veins occurs to the east of the licences as well as within Nahuta 1 where the largest occurrence is host to a 3km length of workings on the Nahuta main vein.
Nahuta 3 Nahuta 1
Nahuta 2
Kilometres
27
Below top: The helicopter-borne VTEM system operated by Geotech Airborne. This is the most advanced system of its type in use today and lists numerous successful surveys in the search for massive sulphide orebodies as well as other geological phenomena of economic importance. Below bottom: An example of an EM anomaly map built up from numerous even-spaced flight lines. Hidden massive sulphide deposits can be identified as large buried conductors.
Lead 45%
Zinc 57%
Copper 10%
Silver 54ppm
Analyses of Nahuta grab samples have been carried out in the laboratories of SGS Ghana and OMAC Ireland. They show that there is strong mineral zonation within the veins. Many samples are dominated by lead, others contain little lead but significant amounts of zinc or copper.
28 EcoPhoenix exploration opportunities
Geology: structural and lithological mapping to locate possible host faults and/or horizons Geochemistry: stream sediment and follow-up soil sampling to identify anomalous soil metal content Geophysics: helicopter-borne electromagnetic methods designed to locate buried anomalous conductors
Below: EcoPhoenixs Nahuta licence areas lie in the Upper Benue Trough which contains CretaceousTertiary age marine and continental sediments that are now folded and mineralised.
Nahuta
Below: Drainage map of the Nahuta licence areas showing over 250 sampling points for complete coverage of the area by stream sediment geochemistry.
Akwana
Abakaliki Ishiagu
50 Kilometres
100
DRAINAGE Order
0 1 2
3 4
Right: Many people work the lead/zinc veins in Nahuta, demonstrating the economic potential of the area. High grade ore is bagged and sold direct to buyers from China.
Total reserves of 20 million tonnes of ore at ca 25% metals Contained metals would be worth $5 billion*
These figures do not include the added value from copper and silver that we know is present in the Nahuta mineralisation. * Using a metal price of $1000/t for lead and zinc. Above: A large galena (lead) ore sample.
30
31
References
1 2 Clutterbuck JR 1996 Geological Report. Birnin Gwari Gold Deposit, Nigeria. ADMS Report for Quilos International. Hawkins TG & Coates J 1999. Review and valuation on selected Nigerian permits for Columbia River Resources. CME & Company.
3 Gabako D 2007 Report on EcoPhoenix Limited Shaft Sampling Programme at Birnin Gwari (February 2006) EcoPhoenix Internal Report 4 Willan RCR 2008 Summary of exploration work carried out for EcoPhoenix (Nigeria) Ltd on the Birnin Gwari Gold Prospect, Kaduna State, Nigeria, Oct Dec 20 2007 CSA Global Pty Ltd Report Ref CI 359 5 Dominy SC & Annels AE 2000 General considerations of sampling and assaying in Johansen GF & Cuffley BW a coarse gold environment. Trans Int Min Metall (Sect B: Appl Earth Sci) 109 September-December 2000. 6 Mackay RA & Beer KE 1952 The Albite-Riebeckite-Granites of Nigeria Report GSM/AED 95 Geological Survey & Museum Atomic Energy Division Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, UK. 7 Chubb A 2009 Information Memorandum: EcoPhoenix Ltd Exploration Project Investment Opportunities in Nigeria. CSA Global Pty Ltd Report 8 AFROL News 2008 Nigeria goes for nuclear power http://www.afrol.com/articles/26216
Acknowledgements Geological Map, 1974 Federal Survey, Lagos, Nigeria (p.11) VTEM anomoly map and image, Geotech Ltd, Canada (p.28)
Design by robintwatson@googlemail.com
32
References
1st Floor, Oyo State House, Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja, Nigeria Tel: 803 390 7163 Fax: 805 220 4444 Email: info@ecophoenix.net Web: www.ecophoenix.net