Alexander Nubia reports significant surface trench results at the Hamama VMS project, 118 metres at 1.52 g/t gold, including 24 metres at 4.59 g/t gold in a new mineralized zone
Toronto, Ontario CANADA, March 26, 2012 /FSC/ - Alexander Nubia International Inc. (AAN - TSX Venture), * A new discovery - the Western VMS Zone - is 650 m along strike and averaging 60 metres wide contains relatively uniform mineralization averaging 1.15 g/t gold and 19.4 g/t silver
* Trench 9 returned 82 metres grading 1.73 g/t gold and 39.2 g/t silver, including 50 metres grading 2.35 g/t gold and 48.1 g/t silver
* Trench 11 returned 88 metres grading 1.82 g/t gold and 31.5 g/t silver, including 74 metres grading 2.09 g/t gold and 29.4 g/t silver.
March 26, 2012, Toronto, Ontario. Alexander Nubia International Inc. (TSX-V: AAN) is pleased to announce results from a surface-trenching program at its Hamama gold-zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) property in Egypt. Hamama is located near excellent infrastructure: 32 kilometres from a highway, railway, and high-capacity electricity grid, and 90 kilometres from a major city, Qena, on the Nile River. The Hamama Project is 35 kilometres from the company's Abu Marawat gold-copper vein deposit.
As announced on February 16, 2012, diamond drilling at what is now referred to as the Central VMS Zone outlined a 400-m-long zone of high-grade gold-zinc exhalite mineralization; a fence of drill holes (AHA-003, AHA-004, and AHA-005) and results of surface mapping and recent trench sampling show that it is continuous to a depth of at least 125 metres. As well, within the 3,000-metre strike-length of the VMS horizon as mapped on surface by AAN's exploration team, the current trench-sampling program has defined two new zones of mineralization, the Western VMS Zone and the Eastern VMS Zone.
Dr. John Payne, Vice President of Exploration, commented, "The broad extent of high-grade gold and related silver values at surface in the Western VMS Zone is an exciting and highly significant discovery that greatly enhances the economic potential of the Hamama property. Our next step is to conduct an electro-magnetic survey which will allow us to better define the best drill targets."
Highlights
* Western VMS Zone - a new high-grade gold zone, 500 metres west of the original drilled zone, is 650 m along strike and averages 60 m wide. Based on 437, 2-metre-long channel samples from 14 trenches (Trenches 2-7 and 9-16), the average grade on surface is 1.15 g/t gold and 19.4 g/t silver.
* Central VMS Zone - the Central VMS zone extends for 640 metres along strike and averages 20 metres wide. Based on 127, 2-metre-long trench samples of VMS from 8 trenches (Trenches 18-25), the average grade on surface is 0.56 g/t gold, 20.4 g/t silver, 0.11% copper, and 2.55% zinc.
* Eastern VMS Zone - a second discovery extends 175 along strike and averages 30 metres wide. Based on 44, 2-metre-long samples from 4 trenches (Trenches 26-29) in ankerite-rich VMS, the average grade on surface is 0.18 g/t gold, 5.1 g/t silver, 0.02% copper, and 0.46% zinc.
* As well, stringer zones in strongly altered footwall andesite in all three zones contain moderately to highly anomalous values in zinc and gold.
Alexander Massoud, Chief Executive Officer, added, "We are very pleased by this new discovery. The Nubian shield is well known for VMS-style mineralization, with three significant VMS deposits either in production or at the advanced exploration stage. These are La Mancha's Hassai deposit (Sudan), Nevsun's Bisha deposit (Eritrea), and Tigray's Harvest deposit (Ethiopia), all of which are similar to Hamama. We have identified multiple targets from our trenching program at Hamama, which we will drill aggressively in the coming months. Combined with our maiden NI 43-101-compliant inferred resource for Abu Marawat, released in March, we have the most advanced exploration property in Egypt."
Table 1: Significant Channel Sample Assay Results
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Trench No. Width Au Ag Cu Zn Pb Rock Type
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Trench 1 8 m 0.01 0.8 0.13 0.27 FW stringer
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Trench 2 62 M 0.42 10.8 0.02 0.08 VMS
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including 50 M 0.47 6.0 0.03 0.09 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 34 m 0.60 15.4 0.032 0.10 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 3 88 M 0.38 10.0 0.02 0.08 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 32 m 0.51 1.8 0.03 0.08 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 4 114 M 0.84 10.1 0.046 0.17 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 100 M 0.92 11.1 0.05 0.19 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 5* 14 m 0.31 25.4 0.24 0.80 0.01 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 48 m 0.05 2.4 0.04 0.02 0.12 FW stringer
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not sampled 65 M VMS
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Trench 6* 70 M 0.22 14.9 0.25 1.71 0.54 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 22 m 0.37 28.6 0.44 2.61 0.48 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
and incl. 24 m 0.16 8.6 0.16 1.30 0.28 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
not sampled 43 m VMS
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Trench 7 50 m 0.98 22.3 0.01 0.15 VMS
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including 34 m 1.16 23.2 0.03 0.11 VMS
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And 76 M 0.19 7.8 0.02 0.06 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 8 30 m 0.06 5.5 0.01 0.18 FW stringer
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Trench 9 82 M 1.73 39.2 0.01 0.13 VMS
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including 50 M 2.35 48.1 0.01 0.14 VMS
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and incl. 24 m 0.83 32.0 0.01 0.15 VMS,
HW argillite
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Trench 10 50 M 0.49 10.0 0.01 0.065 VMS
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including 38 m 0.58 13.8 0.006 0.073 0.05 VMS
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including 12 m 1.08 18.7 0.007 0.12 0.10 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 54 M 0.18 13.4 0.01 0.10 0.08 FW stringer
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Trench 11 88 M 1.82 31.5 0.023 0.10 VMS,
FW stringer
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including 74 M 2.09 29.4 0.02 0.10 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
and incl. 14 m 0.43 43.0 0.02 0.10 FW stringer
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total 88 M 1.82 31.5 0.023 0.10
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Trench 12 118 M 1.52 12.1 0.01 0.05 VMS,
FW stringer
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including 70 M 2.22 14.5 0.014 0.05 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 24 m 4.59 12.4 0.014 0.06 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 36 m 0.63 11.3 0.013 0.05 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 13 60 M 2.88 34.6 0.02 0.90 0.05 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 26 m 0.64 12.8 0.01 0.04 0.01 HW
argillite
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Trench 14 40 m 1.74 15.9 0.017 0.10 VMS
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including 20 m 3.01 17.7 0.021 0.14 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 14 m 0.31 10.1 0.007 0.27 FW
stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 15 22 m 1.32 42.3 0.03 0.06 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 10 m 0.28 20.6 0.01 0.08 HW
argillite
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 16* 12 m 0.42 3.7 0.01 0.09 HW argillite,
R dyke
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not sampled 21 m VMS
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Trench 17 no anomaly HW argillite,
R dyke
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Trench 18 14 m 0.44 16.9 0.23 2.77 0.45 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 42 m 0.05 2.1 0.03 0.15 0.08 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 19 64 M 0.05 1.6 0.03 0.37 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 4 m 0.17 2.0 0.09 0.53 0.32 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 20 16 m 0.02 3.7 0.07 3.86 0.18 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 30 m 0.01 1.1 0.05 0.50 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 21 22 M 0.04 1.4 0.02 0.81 HW, (VMS),
FW Str.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 22 22 m 0.01 1.0 0.014 0.24 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 23 44 m 0.51 28.9 0.04 1.29 VMS, (HW
felsite)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 10 m 0.42 19.2 0.03 0.66 FW stringer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 24 24 m 1.23 21.2 0.1 2.27 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 34 m 0.26 12.2 0.06 1.28 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 25 48 m 0.76 24.8 0.14 3.61 VMS, D
intrusion
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 18 m 1.42 16.6 0.070 2.41 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 12 m 0.80 54.2 0.37 9.32 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 26 14 m 0.05 2.9 0.03 0.44 0.08 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 27 30 m 0.02 1.1 0.01 0.37 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 28 28 m 0.37 9.5 0.015 0.21 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 16 m 0.51 44.1 0.008 0.18 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench 29 16 m 0.26 6.8 0.05 1.07 VMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
including 10 m 0.35 9.0 0.07 1.55 VMS
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-****-
VMS = massive sulphide gossan and sulphide-bearing ankerite-rich exhalite
FW stringer = strongly altered andesite, commonly with anomalous zinc
HW = hangingwall, mainly argillite and locally felsic tuff
D = post-mineralization, slightly porphyritic hypabyssal dacite intrusion R dyke = late porphyritic rhyolite dyke
* part of the VMS zone was not sampled (see Figure 1)
Detailed trench assay results are available at www.alexandernubia.com
Figure 1: Plan view map - drill hole and trench location for Hamama
To view the Plan view map, click onto the link below or copy and paste into your browser:
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Detailed Technical Summary
The Hamama VMS deposit consists of bodies of steeply dipping, overturned volcanogenic massive sulphide gossan and ankeritic exhalite of Late Precambrian age. It is stratigraphically underlain by strongly altered massive andesite (stringer zone alteration) that contains values of zinc from 1000-4000 ppm. Deeper in the footwall volcanic pile are both andesite and felsite flows and volcaniclastic rocks. A felsic dome overlies the central part of the VMS horizon and is flanked by a strong chargeability and magnetic anomaly, which may represent a second VMS horizon stratigraphically above the known zone.
The new Western VMS Zone outcrops on a major peneplane surface onto which the Paleozoic to Mesozoic Nubian sandstone was deposited unconformably; an outlier of Nubian sandstone covers the VMS zone at its the western end. Composite values in trenches (Trenches 1-16) are shown in Table 1, and are split into hanging wall (HW), VMS, and footwall (FW) units. The locations of trenches and the outline of the VMS zones are shown in Figure 1. Trenches in the VMS have a relatively uniform average grade, within which are scattered moderately higher-grade zones, mainly in iron-rich gossan and to a lesser extent in ankerite-rich exhalite. Copper and to a lesser extent zinc and probably silver were leached from the surface during a long period of weathering, and probably were enriched in a supergene zone near the water table. Gold may have been enriched slightly in the oxide zone relative to the hypogene zone. The presence of mixed sulphide-facies and carbonate-facies exhalite suggests that the zone may be on the flank of higher-grade massive sulphide zones; such zonal relationships are common in VMS deposits. Locally, stringer mineralization in footwall altered andesite is of sufficient grade to be included with VMS in outlining the zone of economic interest.
As published in a press release by Alexander Nubia on February 16, 2012, preliminary drilling tested two, 200-metre-long blocks in the Central VMS Zone of the 3,000-metre-long outcropping VMS horizon. Most of the holes were collared in highly altered andesite volcanic rocks in the stratigraphic footwall of the overturned, steeply to moderately NW-dipping VMS horizon. The andesite contains stringer zone mineralization with moderately to highly anomalous values in zinc (up to 1%) and locally moderately anomalous values in gold, silver, and copper. The Central VMS Zone contains areas of ankerite-rich exhalite (weathered buff on surface) and areas of semi-massive to massive sulphide (weathered to dark brown ferruginous gossan). In drill core, both rock types in the Central VMS Zone contain high values of zinc, moderate values in gold, with lesser values in copper and silver. A fence of three holes (AHA-003, AHA-004, and AHA-005) demonstrates down-dip continuity of the Central VMS Zone to a depth of at least 125 m below surface.
Channel samples from 12 new trenches (Trenches 18-29) show that on surface the Central VMS Zone is 640 m long and averages 20 metres wide; it contains an average of 0.55 g/t gold, 18.0 g/t silver, 0.09% copper, and 2.09% zinc (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The zone consists mainly of ankeritic exhalite with moderately abundant zones of ferriferous gossan. Fourteen grab samples from the surface of the Central VMS Zone average 0.98 g/t gold, 28.6 g/t silver, 0.45% Cu, and 12.2% zinc; six of these taken near the surface trace of holes AHA-003 to AHA-005 yielded 1.15 g/t gold, 45.3 g/t silver, 0.61% Cu, 20.3% zinc, 0.63% lead, 5.27% manganese, 175 ppm cadmium, and 120 ppm antimony.
The second discovery (Eastern VMS Zone) is northeast of the Central VMS Zone, with a trenched strike length of 175 metres and average width of 30 metres. Based on 44, 2-metre-long samples from 4 trenches (Trenches 26-29) of ankerite-rich exhalite, the average grade is 0.18 g/t gold, 5.1 g/t silver, 0.02% copper, and 0.46% zinc (See Table 1 and Figure 1). No trenching has been done between the Central VMS Zone and the Eastern VMS Zone, and possibly these two zones are parts of one continuous zone.
The 3,000-metre long strike length of the VMS horizon and the associated footwall stringer zone up to 425 metres thick with highly anomalous values in zinc suggest an extensive system of which drilling has tested a limited portion; comparison with other VMS deposits in the Nubian Shield and elsewhere suggests that the system may contain more-distinct and higher-grade massive sulphide bodies.
Limited thin-section petrography from drill core samples indicates that the sulphides are coarse enough to be readily separated, which confirms preliminary metallurgical testing by a previous operator (Minex, 1988).
Upcoming results and future exploration
Hamama
* Results of trench sampling program to identify and characterize other VMS targets
* Geophysical program to identify priority drill targets within the VMS horizon
* Diamond drilling to explore these targets and extensions of known zones of mineralization
Abu Marawat
* Property-first NI 43-101-compliant resource estimate
* Interpretation and assay results for diamond drill holes AAM-072 through AAM-081
* Diamond drilling to enlarge extent of intersections in known veins and test other subparallel veins and faults in the vein system that contain significant precious and base-metal values in surface trenches
Qualifying Person
The technical information contained in this news release was prepared or reviewed under the direct supervision of Mr. Ralph Gonzalez (P.Geo.), Alexander Nubia Inc.'s Project Manager for exploration in Egypt. Mr. Gonzalez is a qualifying person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").
QA/QC
Alexander Nubia employs an on-site sample preparation facility where core is diamond sawed into two equal halves; and one half of the core is returned to its core box for permanent, on-site storage and the other half, weighing approximately 2 kilograms, is crushed to minus 5 mm and riffle split to 500 g. The 500 g sample is pulverized to a nominal -75 mesh and divided into two halves. One half is delivered to the Egyptian Mineral Resource Authority for storage and the other half is shipped for analysis to the ALS Minerals laboratory in Romania. ALS Minerals is an internationally recognized and accredited analytical facility. ALS re-pulverizes all samples to insure the samples are homogenized and removes a one-assay/ton cut (approximately 30 grams) for gold analysis followed by an atomic absorption finish using industry accepted fire-assaying techniques. In addition, a 5-10 g sample is removed for Ag-Cu-Zn analysis by atomic absorption after digestion in aqua regia. Over-range copper (>10,000 ppm), zinc (>10,000 ppm) and silver (>100 ppm) are re-analyzed using readjusted atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) techniques. Selected samples are determined by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry - atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) after a four-acid digestion for 'near total' digestion. This technique scans a total of 33 elements. A quality control program consisting of blanks and analytical control standards has been implemented to monitor laboratory performance; this is in addition to ALS's internal QA/QC program. Discrepancies have been few, and when discovered, the 'laboratory batch' (usually 20 samples in a batch) is re-analyzed.
About Alexander Nubia International Inc.
Alexander Nubia International Inc. (TSX-V: AAN) is a Canadian exploration and development Company focused on the exploration of precious and base metals in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Company holds two exploration concessions: Abu Marawat and Fatiri which cover a combined total area of 2,772 km2. The Abu Marawat concession includes the Abu Marawat, Hamama and Semna projects.
The Company is currently focused on exploration of the Abu Marawat concession, both at the Abu Marawat vein property and the Hamama VMS property. For more information please visit www.alexandernubia.com.
For more information on Alexander Nubia please contact:
A. Alexander Massoud
President and Chief Executive Officer
Egypt: +2 (0) 22 287 6914
Email: amassoud@alexandernubia.com
Donald M. Cameron, CA
CFO
Canada: +1 (877) 607-4747
Email: dcameron@alexandernubia.com
Nisha Hasan
Investor Relations, TMX Equicom
416-815-0700 ext. 258
Email: nhasan@alexandernubia.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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 news release. The securities of Alexander Nubia International Inc. described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements, such as estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions; by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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Source: Alexander Nubia International Inc. (TSX.V - AAN) http://www.alexandernubia.com
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