SRK Exploration was initially contracted in 2018 to provide field services to a hardrock ilmenite project in Egypt that included, geological mapping in and around an historical open pit, a ground magnetic survey and acquisition of a high-resolution satellite-derived digital elevation model. This work provided the inputs for SRK Exploration to design a diamond core drilling programme that provided sub-surface data of sufficient quantity, quality and spatial distribution for use in estimation of mineral resources and development of a mine design and schedule.
The deposit lies in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt and was partially exploited historically, although no records remain from mining at that time. All previous mine infrastructure has since been removed.
The deposit is a northwest-southeast trending body, which extends for up to 600 m along strike and is approximately 200 m wide, comprising a layered intrusion of generally massive Fe-Ti oxide-bearing cumulate rocks, and medium to coarse grained gabbro units that range from centimetres to tens of metres thick. The Fe-Ti oxide cumulates are of economic interest for the ilmenite dominant mineralogy, with accessory titanomagnetite, rutile and titanite.
Over two field seasons SRK Exploration completed a 35 hole, 7700m diamond drilling programme, undertaking all geological logging and sampling, and management of all contractors and service providers. SRK Consulting (UK) produced a Mineral Resource Estimate for the Project, reported in compliance with the JORC Code (2012), that included Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, based on geological modelling and estimation of the massive Fe-Ti oxide cumulates.
