Re: News - Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Title: METALLURGICAL TESTWORK INDICATES POTENTIAL FOR SINTER FINES PRODUCT
Afferro Mining Inc. ("Afferro" or the "Company"), formerly known as African Aura Mining Inc., the TSX-V / AIM (AFF) listed exploration and development company with iron ore projects in Cameroon and Liberia, is pleased to announce a metallurgical test work update from its first phase of drilling at its Nkout project in southern Cameroon.
Highlights:
� Test work conducted on 188kg composite sample of haematitic saprolite ore
� Sample achieved head grade of 43.6% for this surface ore
� Initial testing rendered a 65% Fe product
� Results demonstrate good potential for sinter fines product
� Minimal deleterious materials in the resulting product
� Lump product material potential to be tested from all material >55% Fe
Luis da Silva, Chief Executive of Afferro, commented:
"Following on from last week's update on our current expansion of drilling over the strike of the main Nkout target, it is encouraging that the early test work from last year's surface material drill samples has rendered such positive results. With more metallurgical test work underway and planned, it is exciting to note that to date all aspects of the orebody -- surface material and the banded iron formation -- have provided such positive results indicating the potential to create a saleable product. We shall be updating investors in the very near future with further assay results."
Preliminary metallurgical test work was conducted on a composite sample of the haematitic saprolite ore from the Nkout Centre area of the deposit. The sample consisted of drill hole intersections from the central part of the deposit and had a head grade of 43.6% Fe. The aim of the test work was to determine the potential to produce a suitable blast furnace feed. The test work was conducted at SGS Mineral Services, Truro, UK.
Gravity separation test work indicated good potential for the production of a sinter fines product from the composite sample. At a top size of 6 mm, a concentrate assaying 65% Fe was produced. The mass yield to this concentrate was 27%, a figure that is expected to increase in practice as tailings from the coarser size fractions would be crushed finer and re-processed by a combination of gravity and magnetic separation. The concentrate had a silica assay of 2.9%, an alumina assay of 0.7% and a phosphorous content of 0.03%.
The sample had a 'mid range' Crushing Work Index of 6.5 kWh/t, and a 'moderately high' Ball Mill Work Index of 16.9 kWh/t.
Further test work is planned to test the effect of head grade and to further test the lateral variability of the orebody. It will include the potential to produce a lump product from the 7.01Mt of oxidised >55% Fe material already detailed in the mineral resource estimate ("MRE") released on the 1 February 2011. The test work is being conducted under the guidance of SRK Consulting (UK) Limited's principal mineral processing consultant, Dr John Willis.
About Afferro Mining Inc.
Afferro Mining is an established exploration and development company listed on the TSX-V (AFF) and London's AIM (AFF). Afferro Mining's portfolio includes a 100% interest in the Nkout iron ore project (the "Nkout Project"), which has an estimated Inferred Mineral Resource of some 1.04 billion tonnes grading 34.2% Fe, 43.0% SiO2 and 2.9% AL2O3 and 0.05% P, and surrounding iron targets in Cameroon which is subject to a resource expansion drilling programme targeting 4Bt. Afferro Mining also has a 38.5% interest in the Putu iron ore project in Liberia (the "Putu Project"), which has an estimated Inferred Mineral Resource of 185 Mt of oxide material with a grade of 37.8% Fe, 17 Mt of haematite itabirite at 48.25% Fe, and 2,173 Mt of magnetite itabirite at 33.7% Fe. The Putu Project is subject to a resource expansion drilling programme and is moving through pre-feasibility managed by joint venture partner Severstal Resources (the mining division of London and Moscow listed OAO Severstal). In September 2010, Putu was granted a 25 year renewable Mineral Development Agreement by the Government of Liberia.
Afferro Mining Inc.
Luis da Silva, President & CEO
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7257 2930
Evolution Securities Limited
Jeremy Ellis/ Neil Elliot / Tim Redfern
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7071 4300
Pelham Bell Pottinger
Charles Vivian / James MacFarlane
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7861 3232
Qualified Person
The technical information contained in this press release relating to the Nkout Project is from the technical report entitled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Nkout Centre Iron Project, Community of Djoum, Cameroon" dated January 28, 2011 and prepared by Howard Baker, an employee of SRK and a "qualified person" within the meaning National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), and Robert Goddard, an employee of SRK. Copies of the above-noted technical report is available under Afferro Mining's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or at www.afferro-mining.com .
Howard Baker has some ten years experience in the exploration, definition and mining of iron ore Mineral Resources. Mr. Baker has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the type of activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a "qualified person" under NI 43-101 and a Competent Person as defined in the June 2009 Edition of the AIM Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Howard Baker consents to the inclusion in this press release of the matters relating to iron ore in the form and context in which they appear and confirms that the information is accurate and not false or misleading.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Ends
Copyright � 2011 AFFERRO MINING INC. (AFF) All rights reserved. For more information visit our website at http://www.afferro-mining.com/ or send email to info@afferro-mining.com ..
Message sent on Tue May 17, 2011 at 11:04:41 PM Pacific Time