Alexander Nubia Adds to Project Pipeline: Grab Samples Returned High-‐grade Copper-‐ Gold Mineralisation at Rouh Al Hadid: Gold Grades up to 82.4 g/t and Copper Grades up
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALEXANDER NUBIA ADDS TO PROJECT PIPELINE: GRAB SAMPLES RETURNED HIGH-‐GRADE COPPER-‐ GOLD MINERALISATION AT ROUH AL HADID: GOLD GRADES UP TO 82.4 G/T AND COPPER GRADES UP TO 3.53 % COPPER
March 24, 2015: Alexander Nubia International Inc. (TSX-‐V: AAN) (the “Company”) is very pleased to report an update on recent exploration activities at the grassroots Rouh Al Hadid project in the Fatiri Concession. Results of the program include, an increase of the mineralized strike length by 300 metres to 750 metres, discovering significant copper mineralization, as well as high-‐grade gold and silver, and increased understanding of mineralization controls.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- New assay results from 39 grab samples returned high-‐grade gold and silver, including 55.8 g/t Au and 61 g/t Ag (FRH-‐560) and 40.2 g/t Au and 240 g/t Ag (FRH-‐562)
- Copper mineralization was discovered along the main 750 metre-‐long mineralized trend, including 2.33 % Cu (FRH-‐550) and 3.53 % copper (FRH-‐573)
- Structural mapping suggests highest grades are found at the intersections of north-‐ northwest and north-‐northeast faults
- Historical stockpiles of mined quartz-‐vein material were found with assays from grab samples up to 84.2 g/t Au, 359 g/t Ag and 0.47 % Cu (FRH-‐541)
Alexander Massoud, President and CEO of Alexander Nubia stated, “The assay results from Rouh Al Hadid are sensational and validate our methodical approach to exploration. Rouh Al Hadid represents another exciting project that re-‐enforces the exceptional potential of both Abu Marawat and the Fatiri Concessions. Combined these concessions are 2,772 km2, contain historic workings, former mines and multiple exploration targets, including our flagship projects, Abu Marawat and Hamama. This additional fieldwork has been completed whilst the Company closed its recent financing and prepares to restart drilling at Hamama.”
For pdf version of the press release please click here
Table 1: New assay results from surface grab sampling of exposed quartz veins at Rouh Al Hadid
| Sample ID | Au (FA) g/t | Ag (AA) g/t | Cu (AA) % | Zn (AA) % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRH-‐550 | 5.46 | 287 | 2.33 | 3.31 |
| FRH-‐551 | 8.88 | 48 | 0.57 | 0.39 |
| FRH-‐557 | 9.11 | 73 | 0.07 | 0.02 |
| FRH-‐558 | 9.27 | 24 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| FRH-‐559 | 11.25 | 57 | 0.06 | 0.04 |
| FRH-‐560 | 55.80 | 61 | 1.60 | 0.01 |
| FRH-‐561 | 29.40 | 91 | 0.14 | 0.01 |
| FRH-‐562 | 40.20 | 240 | 0.17 | 0.02 |
| FRH-‐563 | 4.39 | 10 | 0.10 | 0.09 |
| FRH-‐564 | 3.18 | 39 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| FRH-‐565 | 0.17 | <1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| FRH-‐566 | 4.19 | 11 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| FRH-‐567 | 4.53 | 76 | 0.25 | 0.09 |
| FRH-‐568 | 7.72 | 64 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| FRH-‐570 | 0.34 | <1 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| FRH-‐571 | 1.33 | 10 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| FRH-‐572 | 18.95 | 76 | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| FRH-‐575 | 17.85 | 209 | 3.53 | 0.31 |
| FRH-‐577 | 16.95 | 388 | 0.20 | 1.97 |
*Grab samples assayed at ALS Minerals in Romania. Gold by 30g Fire Assay (FA). Silver, Copper and Zinc by Atomic Absorption (AA) technique following an Aqua Regia Digestion
Table 2: New assay results of grab samples from Historical stockpiles at Rouh Al Hadid
| Sample ID | Au (FA) g/t | Ag (AA) g/t | Cu (AA) % | Zn (AA) % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRH-‐539 | 4.35 | 171 | 0.05 | 0.17 |
| FRH-‐540 | 10.50 | 829 | 0.09 | 0.59 |
| FRH-‐541 | 84.20 | 359 | 0.47 | 0.13 |
| FRH-‐542 | 30.80 | 87 | 0.31 | 0.22 |
| FRH-‐543 | 1.10 | 43 | 0.15 | 0.04 |
| FRH-‐544 | 5.94 | 32 | 0.07 | 0.34 |
| FRH-‐545 | 16.35 | 934 | 0.07 | 0.38 |
| FRH-‐546 | 23.30 | 48 | 1.84 | 1.04 |
| FRH-‐547 | 17.05 | 76 | 0.50 | 0.13 |
| FRH-‐548 | 15.40 | 69 | 2.61 | 1.19 |
| FRH-‐549 | 75.30 | 86 | 0.63 | 0.14 |
| FRH-‐552 | 5.41 | 34 | 0.03 | 0.14 |
| FRH-‐553 | 2.54 | 219 | 0.72 | 22.30 |
| FRH-‐554 | 1.79 | 41 | 0.18 | 0.77 |
| FRH-‐555 | 5.51 | 69 | 3.90 | 0.98 |
| FRH-‐556 | 4.92 | 552 | 1.06 | 1.04 |
| FRH-‐569 | 2.28 | 12 | 0.04 | 0.02 |
| FRH-‐572 | 18.95 | 76 | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| FRH-‐573 | 14.30 | 580 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| FRH-‐574 | 49.60 | 53 | 0.11 | 0.17 |
| FRH-‐576 | 5.19 | 74 | 0.26 | 0.24 |
*Grab samples assayed at ALS Minerals in Romania. Gold by 30g Fire Assay (FA). Silver, Copper and Zinc by Atomic Absorption (AA) technique following an Aqua Regia Digestion
ROUH AL HADID
Rouh Al Hadid, meaning “soul of iron” is located in the northern part of the Company’s Fatiri Concession, 70 kilometres north of the historic gold mine at Abu Zawal (see Figure 1). The project site is easily accessible by following a packed gravel road that leads to a nearby granite quarry, which connects to the Sohag-‐Safaga four-‐lane highway, 40 kilometres to the south.
At Rouh Al Hadid, gold-‐silver-‐copper-‐lead-‐zinc mineralization has now been traced along strike for 750 metres in a north-‐northeast direction. Historical workings along the trend have a maximum depth of two metres.
The polymetallic quartz veins are found at the contact between meta-‐volcanic rocks and a felsic intrusion, locally granodiorite in composition. Along the mineralized contact, the hanging wall meta-‐ volcanic host rocks are strongly altered to quartz-‐kaolinite-‐sericite-‐(pyrite) and bleached. Alteration of the granodiorite in the footwall wall contact consists of feldspar and epidote.
In 2014 Rouh Al Hadid was mapped and sampled, with focus on the gold-‐silver-‐lead-‐zinc mineralization that was identified in the near-‐surface ancient workings. Walls within the workings were channel sampled in 2 metre intervals for a total of 51 samples. As well, two dumps and one small outcrop of black gossanous material yielded lead values of >20 % Pb, with Au values up to 6.3 g/t and Ag values up to 580 g/t.
The recent exploration program comprised additional mapping and grab sampling, with focus on the southern half of the mineralized trend. Note: Grab sampling is selective by nature and results are unlikely to represent average grades for the veins. A total of 39 mineralized quartz-‐vein samples were collected. Individual quartz vein sizes range from 25 to 50 centimetres in thickness, with several veins reaching 1.5 metres in thickness. Quartz veins are banded, fractured to brecciated, display strong shearing and many of the veins are blackened with iron and manganese oxides. Dark hairline fractures are common. A number of the veins have porous silica crusts with ultra-‐fine-‐grained visible gold.
The veins at Rouh Al Hadid strike dominantly north-‐northeast and dip to the East at shallow angles of 15 to 20 degrees. Highest grades were from veins at north-‐northwest and north-‐northeast structural intersections, where multiple stacked veins occur. Table 1 lists assay results of grab sampling from mineralized quartz veins.
Several historical stockpiles of the mineralized ore, with vein material separated into low and high grade ore, are found at Roud Al Hadid. Samples taken from the stockpiles returned grades for gold, silver and copper comparable to those collected from the veins in outcrop by the Company. Table 2 lists assay results from sampling the stockpiles.
Exploration manager Danae Voormeij reports “It is likely that the Romans came to Rouh Al Hadid, began mining along the 750 meter long trend of mineralized quartz veins, stacked the ore into neat square piles along the wadi, ready for transport, and then left. Veni. Vidi. Vici. They came, they saw, they commenced extraction of the ore and then left the place for some reason. No other evidence exists of human settlement besides these early stages of exploitation and the remaining stockpiles. The next stages of exploration based on these exciting results will be drill target definition.”
See Figure 1 for location map of Rouh Al Hadid, please click here
See Figure 2 for map of surface sampling at Rouh Al Hadid, South Half, please click here
See Figure 3 for map of surface sampling at Rouh Al Hadid, North Half, please click here
THE FATIRI CONCESSION
The Fatiri Concession covers an area of 1745 square kilometres, is situated 350-‐400 kilometres southeast of Cairo and follows the northwest trend of the exposed bedrock of the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt, halfway between the Nile River and the Red Sea. Its southeastern corner is 10 kilometres northwest of the Abu Marawat Concession (see Figure 1).
The Fatiri Concession area can be reached from Cairo via daily, one-‐hour commercial airline flights to Hurghada and from there by paved highway South to the Red Sea port city of Safaga, southwest along Highway 44 to Km 40, and then west along a recently constructed paved highway towards the city of Sohag on the Nile River.
The Company is exploring at three project sites within the Fatiri Concession, from south to north: the historic gold mine of Abu Zawal (see News Release January 21, 2014), the ancient copper-‐gold workings at Wadi El Ghozah, and the Rouh Al Hadid gold-‐silver-‐copper-‐zinc-‐lead quartz vein system.
Local infrastructure is undeveloped, although access to Abu Zawal is good via a paved highway; the Abu Zawal deposit is situated 4.5 kilometres by a gravel track southeast of the newly constructed four-‐lane Sohag-‐Safaga Highway. Wadi El Ghozah is 35 kilometres north-‐northwest of Abu Zawal and is accessed by desert tracks requiring 4-‐wheel-‐drive vehicles. Rouh Al Hadid is further to the north from Ghozah, 40 kilometres north from the Sohag-‐Safaga highway, and is easily accessible from the main highway by following a packed gravel road that leads to a nearby granite quarry.
Structural interpretation of the Fatiri Concession indicates a strong structural fabric with dominantly northwest and northeast trends. Northwest trending strike-‐slip faults are related to the Najd fault system, which affected the North and East of the Arabian Nubia Shield. Northeast-‐trending structural features are related to the main fold axis of the tightly folded greenstone belt.
Figure 1: Concession map for Alexander Nubia with the Fatiri Concession highlighted in yellow.
Figure 2: Results from mapping and sampling at Rouh Al Hadid – South
Figure 3: Results from mapping and sampling at Rouh Al Hadid -‐ North
About Alexander Nubia International Inc.:
Alexander Nubia (TSX-‐V: AAN) is in the business of exploring for and developing of economic gold and copper deposits in the Central Eastern Desert of the Arabian-‐Nubian Shield (ANS). The Company’s 100%-‐ owned concessions, Abu Marawat and the Fatiri, combined cover 2,772 square kilometres of underexplored ground. Evidence of gold and copper mining on the concessions dates the many surface workings to pre-‐historic (Copper Age) and Old Kingdom (Pharaonic), through Ptolemaic and Roman and into Early Arab times. Several historic gold mines and numerous gold showings and gossans occur within the two concessions.
The Eastern Desert is host to a number of historically-‐significant gold mines. The world’s oldest gold mine map for Wadi Hamad, the Turin Papyrus Map, was prepared for Ramesses IV; it dates to 1,160 BC and describes the wadi (dry river bed) routes to these important gold mine sites. The Sukari gold mine, controlled by Centamin [TSX: CEE] was a historical gold mine, dating back to New Kingdom/Ptolemaic and Roman age. (Source: Klemm and Klemm (2013): Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia, Springer-‐Verlag, 649 pp) Sukari, located 300 km to the South of Abu Marawat Concession, contains 7.7 Moz of proven and probable gold reserves at 1.05 g/t Au. Gold production began at Sukari in 2009; forecasted production for 2015 is 420,000 ounces of gold at a cash cost of $700 per ounce. Gold recovery is 88% and head grade is 1.40 g/t Au. Gold mineralization at Sukari has been intersected to depths of 1,350 m below the wadi surface (source: Centamin website).
Abu Marawat and the Fatiri concessions are underlain by a Proterozoic-‐aged Pan-‐African greenstone belt of the ANS, which has been intruded by at least two main ages of granodiorite intrusions. Much of the gold-‐sulphide mineralization is of the mesothermal (orogenic), quartz-‐carbonate vein-‐type and is associated with major NNW and NE trending shear-‐zones. Alteration includes epidote (distal), carbonate (intermediate) and sericite-‐quartz (proximal). Similar geological settings include the greenstone belts of the Yilgarn of Western Australia, the Birimian of West Africa and the Abitibi in Quebec, Canada.
The Arabian-‐Nubian Shield (ANS) covers both sides of the Red Sea and includes parts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, The Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Significant VMS deposits in the ANS include Barrick [TSX: ABX] and Ma’aden 50:50% JV of Jabal Sayid in Saudi Arabia, Nevsun [TSX: NSU] Bisha Main and Harena in Eritrea, La Mancha’s Hassai and Hadal Awatib in the Sudan, and Sunridge [TSX: SGC] Emba Derho, Debarwa and Adi Nefas in Eritrea. An example of the size and grade of these deposits is La Mancha’s Hadal Awatib East, which has 54.2 Mt of Indicated Resources in primary sulphide mineralization at grades of 1.0% Cu, 1.11 g/t Au and 0.8% Zn, and 13.25 Mt of Inferred Resources at 1.2% Cu, 1.0 g/t Au and 0.5% Zn and has a strike length of 2,500 m, mineralization widths of up to 100 m, has been drilled to 400 m and geophysics-‐projected depths of mineralization to 900 m. Cautionary notes: The QP has been unable to verify the information and that the information is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Company’s property. Mineral reserves and or resources present on these VMS properties does not imply similar resources or mineralization will be identified on the Company’s properties.
The Company’s land package is located some 400 km southeast of Cairo and is enhanced by expanding infrastructure, including access to a four-‐lane highway, railway right-‐of-‐way, high-‐voltage (capacity 220kV) power lines, and nearby major cities; Qena, on the Nile River, 70 km to the West, and Port of Safaga, on the Red Sea, only 50 km to the East.
Sample Collection and Processing/ALS laboratory Procedures and Analysis/QA and QC:
Sample preparation at Alexander Nubia’s exploration camp is facilitated by running samples through an in-‐house jaw crusher and subsequent riffle split. 300 gram samples are then placed into kraft paper bags and one copy sent to the Egyptian Mineral Resource Authority (“EMRA”), who retains duplicates of all samples in its permanent storage facility south of Cairo. Crushed rejects are stored at the Company’s Abu Marawat camp. Samples are sent by courier to ALS Minerals (“ALS”) in Romania, an ISO-‐certified laboratory, for final processing (PUL-‐31) and assay analysis (Au-‐AA23; Cu, Zn, Ag –AA47). Analytical procedures at ALS Minerals Romania involve pulverizing of the sample to minus 80 mesh. A 30 gram pulp sample is taken for gold analysis by fire assay. Cu, Zn and Ag are analyzed by atomic absorption following an aqua regia digestion. Quality control and assurance is maintained by inserting standards, duplicates and blanks at random at an average rate of 1 per 20 samples, for both trench and channel samples.
Qualifying Person:
The technical information contained in this News Release was prepared by Danae A. Voormeij, MSc, PGeo, Exploration Manager for Alexander Nubia Inc. Ms Voormeij is a qualified person under CIM’s National Instrument 43-‐101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
For more information on Alexander Nubia visit us at www.alexandernubia.com or please contact:
A. Alexander Massoud President and Chief Executive Officer Egypt: +2 (0) 22 287 6914 Email: [email protected]
Giles Baynham Director – Corporate Development Canada: + 1 (778) 806-‐5151 ext. 107 Email: [email protected]
General Information Canada: + 1 (778) 806-‐5151 Email: [email protected]
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-‐Looking Statements
The securities of Alexander Nubia International Inc. described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-‐looking statements, such as estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Since forward-‐looking statements address future events and conditions; by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.