Projects Overview: Zanzui

Project Summary

Located 110km southeast of Mwanza, the Zanzui layered ultramafic-mafic complex was investigated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the 1980s. The UNDP reported 1.24g/t Palladium in diamond drill core samples. African Eagle’s (AFE) work has also returned anomalous values for nickel (up to 0.93%), platinum (37 ppb) and gold (52 ppb). Pan concentrates up to 8.3g/t gold were recorded from the Ndudumo River on the southern margin of the complex.

Licences

Four licences cover a combined area of 358km² with AFE holding a 90% stake in two licences and 85% in the remaining two.

Exploration History

The UNDP explored the area extensively in the mid 1980s. They did not routinely assay for platinum group metals (PGEs), but did analyse 10 core samples from one drill hole for platinum, palladium and rhodium, reporting a single value of 1.24g/t palladium. Reliable sources have also reported platinum grains being panned from the Ng’wangulu River on the eastern margin of the complex.

AFE has compiled the historical survey data and completed reconnaissance and infill geochemical surveys over all of the licence areas, returning values up to 37ppb platinum in a well defined north trending zone extending over 6kms (Fig. 1). AFE also recorded elevated soil values of nickel (up to 0.93%), chrome (up to 0.82%) and cobalt (up to 1360ppm) in the same area. The nickel/ chrome ratios of the soil geochemical results indicate that the core of the complex has the potential to host nickel mineralisation (Fig. 2). Stream sediment samples taken from the Ndudumo River on the southern margin of the complex returned gold values up to 8.3g/t.

The results of a ground magnetometer survey completed by AFE over the area clearly show the layering of the complex (Shown opposite).

Geology

The Zanzui Complex is a circular, layered ultramafic-mafic intrusion covering approximately 140km² and forms a prominent hill which is capped by siliceous duricrust of weathered dunite.

Future Programme

The company plans to conduct a VTEM survey in the immediate future and then select targets for drilling.

The company is seeking to joint venture this project with a suitable development partner.

Enlarge diagram
Magnetic field image showing layering of complex

Zanzui fact sheet - January 2008
(PDF - 800KB)