Adroit Resources Inc.: 4,000 Meters of Drilling Approved in Italy
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/15/11 -- Adroit Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ADT)(FRANKFURT: A7V)(BERLIN: A7V). Management is pleased to announce that the Italian regional Environmental Impact Assessment office (Ufficio Valutazione Impatto Ambientale: VIA) has approved Adroit's application to drill 4,000 meters (20 holes) to confirm and, possibly, extend the historical resource, and to provide the first step for a NI 43-101 compliant resource calculation on its I Salaioli exploration permit in southern Grosseto Province, Italy.
As announced in the Company's November 8, 2011 news release, this approved drill programme has been included in the Company's application to extend this, among others, permit for two years.
The Company plans to commence this drilling programme in the Spring of 2012, following receipt of the I Salaioli permit extension approval.
The mineral resources in the I Salaioli permit area have been known since ancient times. At the beginning of the 19th century, native sulphur was mined from the permit area. Antimony sulphide was produced at the end of the 19th century and was mined intensively during 1939-1942 from the North-South trending, 5-15m wide vein by underground operations over a strike length of 400m.
The underground operations, which reached a maximal depth of some 50m below surface, encountered many difficulties due to gaseous emanations, especially from CO2 and H2S. This eventually led to the closure of the mine. In addition to sulphur, mercury was mined (first underground during 1935-1937, and later in open pit from 1966-1969) from an area located just a few hundreds of meters north of the antimony mine. Both the mercury and the antimony mines were operated by the Societa Italiana Anonima Mercurio (SIAM, S.p.A).
In 1979, the area became an exploration area of SAMIM, and they started their exploration by the digging of an E-W oriented trench in the vicinity of the old 'Pozzo 1'. This trench, or little quarry, reportedly was 70m long, 30m wide and had a maximum depth of 15m. In addition, SAMIM carried out a percussion drilling campaign consisting of 21 holes along four E-W oriented profiles (Stea, 1979a). A total of 340m was drilled, however, the recovery of samples from this drilling was too poor to draw any conclusion and prohibited a resource calculation. The drilling campaign indicated however, that some mineralisation was present under a sedimentary cover of 6-15m thick. In response to the difficulty of drilling, SAMIM then decided to intercept the N-S trending mineralised vein in two additional E-W oriented trenches that were to be spaced 150m apart. Their idea was to prove the continuity of the vein at shallow depth, so that the mineralisation could be mined in open pit. However, during excavation of the first of these trenches, they encountered a mineralisation which comprised mainly antimony oxides (kermesite and valentenite), with some minor sulphides and that had a total grade of less than 1% Sb. This result indicated that the orebody decreased in volume and grade towards the north and that the mineralogy dramatically changed from sulphides to antimony oxides. The second trench was therefore not dug. Instead they concentrated on the deepening of the trench/quarry near Pozzo 1. There is no record of what was mined, except from a statement in the annual reports of the Tafone plant that 3,500 tonnes of ore grading 1.5% Sb was processed.
The SAMETON resource statement of 1986 mentions a historical resource of 31,439 tonnes grading 1.5% Sb 'in view' on the trenches but no details about this calculation could be found in the historical documents.
The Manciano region, located about 50km south from the Company's project office in Grosseto, was, by world standards, a significant producer of Antimony with several deposits mined over the past century. Production in the area ceased in the 1980's with the closure of the Tafone mine.
Despite historical production, several new occurrences or extensions to mined deposits were identified in the late 1980's but never developed, as production was winding down due to low prices. The Company is currently assessing some of these Antimony deposits for eventual commercial exploitation.
Exploration and resource evaluation, carried out prior to the mine closures, indicated the presence of considerable Antimony resources in the district and, more particularly, within the Company's permits. Based on its work carried out in the 1980's, SAMIM, an Italian company mining several antimony deposits in the area at the time, estimated the presence of over 2.8Mt of ore grading 0.77% Sb, yielding over 21,000t of Sb metal, including a higher-grade zone of about 465,000t grading 1.58% Sb on the Faggio Scritto prospect, astride the Poggio Pietricci and Faggio Scritto tenements. The mineralization, which was never mined, occurs near surface, and remains open in several directions (See News Releases of June 13, 2007 and February 4, 2008). It occurs in close proximity to the former Macchia Casella mine which reportedly produced over 1,100 tons of Sb metal from high-grade ore (greater than 10%) between 1939 and 1953. Historical work carried out on the Company's other Antimony prospects estimated resources of 25,000t grading 1.3% Sb at Poggio Monticchio and 31,500t at 1.5% Sb on the I Salaioli prospect. These deposits remain open in several directions.
All of the above historical resource estimates and data are non-conformable with National Instrument 43-101, 'Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Deposits'. These historical reports have not yet been independently verified by the Company and the Company is not relying upon them and is not treating the historic resource as a current resource. The historical data is currently being reviewed and assessed in the light of the recent discovery of new historical documents.
The Antimony mineralisation occurs in close spatial and genetic relation with the gold mineralization, recognized in the area (see, amongst others, News Release of 22 December 2006). Both occur preferentially in Mesozoic carbonate-evaporitic formations, are associated with regional structural features and are related to recent igneous activity. The idealized prototype of a southern Grosseto Province Antimony deposit can be described as an irregular mineralization situated in the upper part of a highly porous limestone unit, usually the Calcare Cavernoso ('vuggy limestone'), overlain by an impermeable unit, normally a flysch-type rock. The deposits are bound to the edge of horst positions and also to areas of elevated geothermal gradient and resulting hydrothermal activity.
Antimony has many diversified and indispensable uses for both commercial and military applications. Antimony prices recently soared as global demand surges and output considerably declined as Hunan province, China's largest producing region, curbs output to comply with central government restrictions. China reportedly contributes around 90 percent of world output.
Dr. Mehmet Taner, a Qualified Person under the guidelines of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the geological information contained in this news release.
President's Comments. 'This drilling programme approval is most welcome and demonstrates to me that the environmental office is pro mining provided the proper and prudent procedures are adhered to.'
Adroit Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company that is currently exploring for Antimony and other metals in Central Italy and diamonds, precious and base metals in the Timmins/Shining Tree/Temagami/Cobalt and Bancroft areas of Ontario, Canada. In addition, Adroit is seeking new precious and base metal projects to add to its expanding portfolio. The Company's issued and outstanding share capital is 113,919,192.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Graeme Rowland, Chairman and President
Note: The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Adroit Resources Inc.
(604) 688-3304
(604) 682-6038 (FAX)
www.adroitresources.ca
Blackwell
(Corporate Advisor)
(416) 364-3123
blackwell@tcn.net
Pure Investor Relations
(German IR-Corporate Advisor)
(0) 89-416-175-772
info@pure-ir.de
