BWA Group PLC Positive Results from Preliminary Granulometric Testwork

 
TIDMBWAP 
 
27 April 2023 
 
                                 BWA Group PLC 
 
                    ("BWA", or the "Company") (AQSE: BWAP) 
 
Positive Results from Preliminary Granulometric Testwork at the Dehane 2 Heavy 
                        Mineral Sands Project, Cameroon 
 
BWA Group plc [AQSE: BWAP], which has mineral exploration licences in both 
Cameroon and Canada and is quoted on London's AQSE Growth Market, provides an 
update on its recently approved Dehane 2 rutile sands Licence, located in 
Central Cameroon ("Dehane 2" or the "Dehane Project"). 
 
The Dehane 2 licence covers an area of 54 km2 and includes an additional 14 km 
of strike length of the Nyong river system, an area known to be prospective for 
Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon and Kyanite heavy mineral sand mineralisation. 
Moreover, the licence covers some 20 km of the mouth of the Nyong river and 
estuarine environment as it empties into the Gulf of Guinea. A river mouth can 
lead to a change in flow conditions that can cause the fluvial system to 
deposit any supplementary sediment including heavy mineral sand (HMS) it is 
carrying, where potentially economic accumulations of HMS are found within the 
lowest energy zone on the beach, the swash zone. 
 
Dehane 2 is located 166 km to the southwest of Yaoundé, and 70 km from the deep 
seaport and industrial zone of Kribi. 
 
A version of this announcement including maps and photographs can be viewed on 
the Company's website, http://www.bwagroupplc.com/bwa-announcements.html 
 
Outlook 
 
One auger and two beach samples were collected during a one-day initial 
prospecting site visit (detailed in RNS dated the 6 April 2023). 
 
The auger sample (DH2_001) underwent granulometric testwork involving sieve 
sized fraction studies and panned concentration, completed by BWA using the 
facilities at Afrigeolabs, Yaoundé, Cameroon. From field observations, sand is 
logged for the entirety of the 1.90 m deep auger hole. The particle size 
analysis is presented in the table below and shows that this sample is composed 
of six particle size fractions. Some 93% of the grains have a size between 180 
and 600 microns, defined by Wentworth (1922) as medium to fine sand. 
 
Mineralogically, rutile is the dominant heavy mineral in the coarse fractions 
and is in most of the fractions above 1000 microns, 600 microns and 355 
microns, i.e., up to approximately 40% of the sieved sample. Kyanite crystals 
are also visible in this grain size range. In the (+) 180-micron fractions, 
ilmenite becomes the dominant mineral although rutile is still clearly visible, 
and in the smaller fractions (+ 150 microns and + 75 microns) ilmenite is 
predominant. 
 
Using a high-resolution camera, a yellow mineral in this grain size range was 
also observed, which could potentially be monazite. However, further studies 
and analytical testwork is required to confirm the presence of monazite. 
 
Highlights: 
 
  * Rutile most dominant (heavy) mineral in fractions above 1000 microns, 600 
    microns and 355 microns, i.e., up to approximately 40% of the sample. 
  * Ilmenite and rutile observed in smaller fractions. 
  * Implications of the granulometric studies are as yet not fully recognised, 
    although are encouraging and certainly justifies the licence acquisition 
    and follow up exploration and testwork. 
  * Abundance of heavy minerals observed in panned concentrates (presented in 
    table below). 
  * Possible monazite observed and is found (like rutile) in the fractions 
    above 1000, 600 and 355 µm. Further studies and analytical testwork is 
    required to verify the observations. 
 
  Particle µm     (-)75µm   (+)75µm  (+)150µm  (+)180µm  (+) 355µm (+)600µm  (+)1000µm 
 
   Weight of         0        30        20        750       490       35         2 
  fraction (g) 
 
 Percentage of       0         2         1        50        40         3        0.10 
 sample weight 
 
Weight of panned     0        20        15        370       320       30         2 
concentrated (g) 
 
 Percentage of      0%        5%        2%        45%       40%       5%        0.5% 
     panned 
  concentrated 
     weight 
 
Geology and Geological Interpretation 
 
The Dehane licences are located on the Western Cameroon Domain, which extends 
along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. This domain consists of a series 
of medium-grade to high grade schists and gneisses of volcanic and 
volcano-sedimentary origin, intruded by later-stage granitoid complexes, the 
basement rocks are source of heavy minerals. 
 
The Nyong river is the main river which runs through the licence areas.  The 
BWA licences allows access to approximately 60 km of the prospective Nyong 
river floodplain system, deltas, and associated tributaries. 
 
The licences encompass a large active river system and an even larger 
paleo-floodplain area, and marine coastline observed in satellite imagery, 
although this has yet to be fully ground-truthed through fieldwork. 
 
This paleo-floodplain is likely to be a significant target for exploration and 
covers the length of the river with an initial expected width of over 2 km in 
the north and increasing in the south. Other rivers of various importance are 
found there: Owoumbé, Nkoudou, Bidinga, Mbebe, Mboke, and Ongué. 
 
The Dehane area has been known for some historic small scale artisanal 
historical rutile mining. 
 
James Butterfield, interim Non-executive Chairman of BWA, commented: 
 
"We are pleased to have performed preliminary granulometric testwork on the 
Dehane 2 auger sample and are encouraged with the amount of heavy minerals that 
have been observed within the bulk sample and various size fractions, in 
particular the sand sized fraction, and potentially amenable to simple 
separation techniques.  BWA are planning a more comprehensive exploration and 
test work programme to investigate the licence in a more systematic and 
thorough manner in the near future." 
 
Competent Person's Statement 
 
The information in this report which relates to the BWA Dehane Project is based 
upon and fairly represents information collected and compiled by Mr Emmanuel 
Simo, MSc., Senior Geologist and Chief Geologist for BWA, who is a Member of 
the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. 
 
The results were reviewed by Mr J.N. Hogg, MSc. MAIG, Principal Geologist for 
Addison Mining Services (AMS) and Non-executive Director of BWA. 
 
Mr Simo and Mr Hogg have sufficient experience relevant to the style of 
mineralisation, the type of deposit under consideration and to the activity 
undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012 
edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral 
Resources and Ore Reserves. 
 
Mr Hogg has reviewed and verified the technical information that forms the 
basis of and has been used in the preparation of this announcement, including 
all sampling and analytical data, and analytical techniques. Mr Hogg consents 
to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on the information, 
in the form and context in which it appears. 
 
Forward Looking Statement 
 
This announcement contains forward-looking statements which involve a number of 
risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are expressed in good 
faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. These statements reflect current 
expectations, intentions or strategies regarding the future and assumptions 
based on currently available information. Should one or more of the risks or 
uncertainties materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, 
actual results may vary from the expectations, intentions and strategies 
described in this announcement. 
 
No obligation is assumed to update forward looking statements if these beliefs, 
opinions and estimates should change or to reflect other future developments. 
 
 
Two samples were taken outside of the licence and despite being an upstream 
extension or similar geological / depositional setting, the samples by no means 
indicate that the material in the licence is of economic quality and neither 
BWA nor the Competent Persons draw any conclusions from these samples. The 
samples were taken in good faith to act as a guide to potential mineralisation 
in the general area. 
 
For further information on the Company, please visit http://www.bwagroupplc.com 
/index.html or contact: 
 
BWA Group PLC                         [phone] 
James Butterfield                     [e-mail] 
Interim Chairman 
 
Allenby Capital Limited               [phone] 
Corporate Adviser 
Nick Harris/Lauren Wright 
 
 
 
END 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 27, 2023 04:30 ET (08:30 GMT)