AIM-listed Africa focused exploration project generator Altus Strategies 100%-owned subsidiary, Aterian Resource, has been granted new exploration licences, targeting zinc and copper in Morocco.
Moroccoย โ Altus Strategiesโ new licences include the Ammas, Takzim Est and Arfa licences, which total 87.55 km2ย inย Morocco.
The Ammas licence is located 3 km along strike of Hajjar VMS zinc-copper mine, while the Takzim Est licence is located 6 km east of the companyโs Takzim zinc project. The Arfa licence is located in the Oriental province of north-eastern Morocco.
โThe award of these strategically located exploration licences in Morocco is an exciting addition to our exploration pipeline. The licence areas were selected on the basis of our remote sensing programmes across terrains considered to be prospective for zinc, copper and other base metals,โ saysย Altus Strategiesย CEO Steven Poulton.
โOur field team have immediately commenced exploration at Ammas, which is approximately 30 km south of Marrakech and in an active mining district, which hosts numerous โVMS typeโ deposits. These include the Hajjar zinc-copper-lead mine.
โEncouragingly our geologists are reporting the discovery of quartz stockworks and gossanous material in outcropping meta-volcanics and meta-siltstones at Ammas. Once this initial reconnaissance phase of exploration is complete, the field team will move on to Takzim Est and Arfa,โ notes Poulton.
Ammas
Ammas consists of two exploration licences, which cover an area of 31.75 km2ย in the Guemassa Massif, 30 km south of Marrakesh in northern Morocco. The licences have been granted to Azru Resources SARL.AU, a 100%-owned subsidiary of Aterian Resource and are valid for base and precious metals with an initial three-year term, after which they can be renewed for a further term of four years.
Ammas was selected by Altus Resources following an assessment of historical geological maps, mineral occurrences data and ASTER remote sensing targets. The project area is comprised of folded Carboniferous age schists and felsic metavolcanic units.
Initial reconnaissance exploration by the company has identified areas of gossanous outcrop, quartz stockworks and pyrrhotite within veinlets. VMS deposits of the region are typically formed of pyrrhotite rich lenses with zinc, copper and lead. These include the Hajjar VMS mine, which is operated by the Moroccan state mining company Managem Group.
Takzim Est
Takzim Est consists of three exploration licences, which cover an area of 39.80 km2ย in eastern Jebilet, 35 km north of Marrakesh. The licences have been granted to Adrar Resources SARL.AU, a 100%-owned subsidiary of Aterian Resource and are valid for base and precious metals with an initial three-year term, after which they can be renewed for a further term of four years.
Takzim Est was selected by Altus Strategies following an assessment of historical geological maps and mineral occurrences data. The project area comprises Palaeozoic metasediments, proximal to a Hercynian-age granitic intrusive and hosts historically mapped quartz-carbonate veins, regionally known to host zinc, copper, lead, cobalt and nickel mineralisation.
Arfa
Arfa consists of one exploration licence, which covers an area of 16 km2ย in northern Morocco. The licence has been granted to Azru Resources SARL.AU and is valid for base and precious metals with an initial three-year term, after which it can be renewed for a further term of four years.