Mkango Intersects Further Extensive Zones of Rare Earths Mineralisation and Completes Major Drill Programme at the Songwe Hill Project in Malawi
Mkango Intersects Further Extensive Zones of Rare Earths Mineralisation and
Completes Major Drill Programme at the Songwe Hill Project in Malawi
LONDON and CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 11, 2018 -- Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM / TSXV: MKA) (the "Company" or "Mkango") is
pleased to announce results for a further eight holes from the latest diamond drill programme at the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project
(“Songwe”) in Malawi. The drilling programme has now been completed, totaling 10,891 metres (“m”) and comprising 91 drill holes to
a maximum depth of 220 m. The drilling programme is a key component of the ongoing initial phases of the Feasibility Study for
Songwe.
Highlights from the results are as follows:
PX060
51.6 m 1 grading 1.9% TREO (7.2 – 58.8 m EoH) including 36.8 m 1 grading 2.3% TREO (7.2 – 44.0 m). Inclined hole (60
degrees south).
PX061
161.1 m2 grading 1.3% TREO (5.1 – 166.7 m EoH) including 31.2 m grading 1.7% TREO (110.8 – 142.0 m). Inclined hole
(60 degrees west).
PX064 17.0 m3 grading 1.8% TREO (21.0 – 38.0 m). Inclined hole (60 degrees west).
PX082 38.0 m grading 1.6% TREO (90.0 – 128.0 m). Inclined hole (60 degrees west).
PX096 43.4 m4 grading 1.6% TREO (1.7 – 45.0 m) and 38.9 m grading 1.6% TREO (57.0 – 95.9 m). (60 degrees south).
1 Includes a 1.6m cavity not sampled. 2 Includes a 1.7m cavity not sampled. 3 Includes a 2.2m cavity not sampled. 4 Includes a 0.9 m
cavity not sampled. TREO: total rare earth oxides based on total La 2O3, Ce2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm 2O3, Eu2O3, Gd 2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3,
Ho2O3, Er 2O3, Tm2O3, Yb 2O3, Lu2O3, Y 2O3. These intersections are reported as down hole widths and do not necessarily represent
true thicknesses and attitude of the mineralised zones, the estimation of which will require further refining of the geological model.
William Dawes, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are very pleased to announce another excellent set of results from
the recently completed major drill programme at Songwe, which is an integral part of the ongoing Feasibility Study. This is the largest
drill programme to date in the history of the project and its successful completion is a great credit to the strong international and
Malawian team on the ground. We look forward to announcing results from the remaining 75 drill holes totalling 9,259 m.”
• The drill programme is focused on infill drilling to confirm and upgrade the existing Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource
Estimates, testing extensions to the mineralisation, and geotechnical drilling.
• All eight drill holes intersected rare earth mineralisation, with the table above highlighting selected intersections averaging 1%
TREO or more.
• Drill holes PX060, PX061, PX064 and PX096 were focused on infill drilling, and all intersected broad zones of mineralisation.
PX052, PX048 and PX043 were collared to the east of mapped carbonatite outcrop, targeting the eastern contact of the
mineralisation at depth. Whilst PX052, PX048 and PX043 did intersect mineralised zones at various intervals, albeit relatively
narrow in the case of PX043 and PX048, they are not interpreted to have reached the targeted contact zone.
• Drill hole PX082 was focused on testing the north-west extension of mineralisation, outside the previously delineated Indicated
and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate. This is first time mineralisation has been intersected in this area by the Company.
A schematic geological map illustrating the location of the drill hole collars and estimated drill hole traces is available on the
Company’s website (www.mkango.ca).
The breakdown of TREO values reported above are as follows:
Drill Hole From To Interval La2O3 Ce2O3 Pr2O3 Nd2O3 Sm2O3 Eu2O3 Gd2O3 Tb2O3 Dy2O3 Ho2O3 Er2O3 Tm2O3 Yb2O3 Lu2O3 Y2O3 TREO
m m m ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm %
PX052
14.0
42.7 28.7 (i)
2,702 6,681 892
3,543 552 130 283 33 152 25 61 8 47 6
809 1.6%
(i) Includes 5m cavity not sampled. Due to cavities and poor core recovery, the significance of this intersection is highly uncertain.
PX060 7.2
58.8 51.6 (i)
4,971 8,643 921
3,037 426 110 250 27 110 16 40 5 32 4
470 1.9%
including 7.2
44.0 36.8 (i)
6,434 10,640
1,103
3,545 497 127 278 27 98 13 27 3 20 3
331 2.3%
(i) Includes 1.6m cavity not sampled.
PX061 5.1
166.7 161.6 (i)
3,047 5,671 625
2,208 341 93 221 26 117 18 43 5 30 4
515 1.3%
including
110.8
142.0 31.2
4,085 7,556 844
2,906 423 115 272 32 144 22 52 6 36 5
612 1.7%
(i) Includes 1.7m cavity not sampled.
PX064
21.0
38.0 17.0 (i)
4,766 8,101 830
2,604 335 87 200 24 110 18 42 5 26 3
497 1.8%
(i) Includes 2.2m cavity not sampled.
PX082
90.0
128.0 38.0
3,589 7,037 780
2,735 397 100 228 26 114 18 43 6 33 4
518 1.6%
PX096 1.7
45.0 43.4 (i)
3,825 6,929 730
2,522 365 102 251 34 173 30 73 9 49 6
869 1.6%
57.0
95.9 38.9
3,267 7,046 832
3,085 462 117 264 29 133 21 50 6 38 5
623 1.6%
(i) Includes 0.9m cavity not sampled.
Scientific and technical information contained in this release including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information
has been approved and verified by Dr. Scott Swinden of Swinden Geoscience Consultants Ltd, who is a "Qualified Person" in
accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Sample preparation and analytical work for the drilling and channel sampling programmes are being provided by Intertek-Genalysis
Laboratories (Perth, Australia) employing ICP-MS techniques suitable for rare earth element (REE) analyses and following strict
internal QAQC procedures inserting duplicates, blanks and standards. Internal Laboratory QAQC was also completed to include
blanks, standards and duplicates.
About Mkango Resources Limited
Mkango's primary business is exploration for rare earth elements and associated minerals in the Republic of Malawi, a country whose
hospitable people have earned it a reputation as “the warm heart of Africa”. The Company holds interests in three exclusive
prospecting licenses in Malawi, the Phalombe licence, the Thambani licence and the Chimimbe Hill licence.
The main exploration target in the 80% held Phalombe licence is the Songwe Hill rare earths’ deposit, which features carbonatite-
hosted rare earth mineralisation and was subject to previous exploration in the late 1980s. Mkango completed an updated Pre-
Feasibility Study for the project in November 2015 and a Feasibility Study is currently underway, the initial phases of which include
the recently completed 10,891 metre drilling programme.
Under the terms of an agreement with Talaxis, Talaxis will fully fund the Feasibility Study for Songwe by investing £12 million for a
49% interest in the project (via Mkango subsidiary Lancaster Exploration Ltd). Talaxis will also have the option to acquire a further
26% interest by arranging funding for project development including funding the equity component thereof. If Talaxis exercises its
option, Mkango will retain a 25% interest, free carried to production. To-date, Talaxis has invested £5 million, which is funding the
initial phase of the Feasibility Study, for a 20% interest in the project with Mkango holding 80%.
By investing a further £2 million, Talaxis will acquire a 49% interest in Maginito Ltd, a new subsidiary of Mkango focused on
neodymium alloy powders, magnets and other technologies. This includes the collaboration with Metalysis Ltd announced in
September 2017, which is focused on advanced alloys using neodymium or praseodymium with other elements for permanent
magnet manufacturing. Permanent magnets are critical materials for most electric vehicles, direct drive wind turbines and many other
high growth applications. Neodymium is a key rare earth component at Songwe. To date, Talaxis has invested £1 million for a 24.5%
interest in Maginito with Mkango holding 75.5%.
The main exploration targets in Mkango’s remaining two 100% held licences are, in the Thambani licence, uranium, niobium,
tantalum and zircon and, in the Chimimbe Hill licence, nickel and cobalt.
For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca.
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure
Certain information contained in this announcement may have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of
Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect
to Mkango, its business and the Project. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”,
“expects” or “is expected”, “scheduled”, “estimates” “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or
statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will”, occur or be achieved, or the
negative connotations thereof. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the global market
for products using the rare earth metals the Company is exploring for, completion of the feasibility study and of the transactions
contemplated in the agreement with Talaxis, as well as the use of proceeds from the investments into the Company by Talaxis and
the timing of such expenditures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be
no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking
statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to
the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause
actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, market
demand for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, the positive
results of a feasibility study on the Project, delays in obtaining financing or governmental or stock exchange approvals. The forward-
looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the
Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no
obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.
For further information on Mkango, please contact:
Mkango Resources Limited
William Dawes
Chief Executive Officer
UK: +44 207 3722 744
Canada: +1 403 444 5979
www.mkango.ca
@MkangoResources
Alexander Lemon
President
Blytheweigh
Financial Public Relations
Tim Blythe, Camilla Horsfall, Julia Tilley
UK: +44 207 138 3204
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker
Jeff Keating, Caroline Rowe
UK: +44 20 3470 0470
Alternative Resource Capital
Joint Broker
Alex Wood, Rob Collins
UK: +44 20 7186 9004; +44 20 7186 9001
The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX
Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company
in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S.
persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.