Arrow Minerals Limited (ASX: AMD) has obtained promising results from the company’s initial mapping programme conducted over the Simandou North Iron Project, Guinea.
Arrow’s geological team, led by Exploration Manager Mamadouba Yansane, undertook first pass reconnaissance geological mapping to outline the distribution of the iron hosting Simandou stratigraphy within the project area.
The initial focus of the mapping programme was to examine the zones directly associated with elevated magnetic responses identified in the historical aeromagnetic data and to visually verify and determine the distribution of potential high-grade iron zones within the broader stratigraphy on the project area.
The geological map produced by the field team highlighted the presence of the full Simandou Range stratigraphic sequence previously detailed by Cope et. al. in 2005 at Rio Tinto’s Pic de Fon iron deposit. The team visually identified three lithological units with significant potential to host high-grade iron.
1. Siliceous haematite – the distribution of this unit throughout the project area confirms the potential for significant haematite bodies to occur. Haematite is the most important of the Simandou iron ores.
2. Goethite-haematite – these are two primary iron ore minerals with goethite forming via weathering of haematite. This is considered an important indication of the presence of iron bearing stratigraphy.
3. Canga – a ferruginous laterite consisting of fragments of iron formation cemented with limonite, which is generally proximal to subsurface iron bearing units. Canga can form a valuable ore in its own right, with iron as high as 68%.
The clear identification of significant iron bearing stratigraphy within Simandou North Iron Project that closely reflects the magnetics for the project,” Managing Director, Hugh Bresser, said.
“We have mapped the units over a considerable extent of the project area. Next step is to integrate this latest geological information with the reprocessed geophysics to define our first round of drill targets.
“The continued combined commitment between Government and Industry to implement this major capital project provides confidence to Arrow that the infrastructure will be present to enable Arrow to potentially establish itself as a major West African mining company. Simandou North Iron Project allows Arrow to participate in the development of an area where, until now, mineral wealth has been locked up due to infrastructural constraints.”