The Cameroon Project is located in the southwestern region of Cameroon, West Africa and covers approximately 2,970km² comprising three granted exploration permits. The granted permits are prospective for iron ore in the form of direct shipping ore (DSO) and magnetite-gneiss, and for gold.

Cameroon Project Location Map

Legend announced on 4 September 2009 the signing of a legally binding Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Camina SA to explore for iron ore in Cameroon, which gave Legend the right to acquire a 90% interest in the Project via a 90% ownership of Camina. (ASX Announcement: 4 September 2009).

Following initial exploration involving field reconnaissance and an extensive 2,566km² aeromagnetic / radiometric survey over the Ngovayang Project, Legend decided to exercise its right to acquire 90% of Camina SA. (ASX Announcement: 5 February 2010).

Camina, its consultants and advisors have substantial experience and expertise in dealing with mineral projects, infrastructure and government relationships in Cameroon. Legend will access Camina’s capacity across these areas to advance the projects. Legend Managing Director Mark Wilson said that his team was attracted to the potential scale of the Project, its proximity to existing road, rail and port infrastructure and the people who come with the deal.

Discovery of 50Mt of DSO is the primary objective for Legend, which would translate into an initial 1-2Mtpa operation with potential future expansion. A secondary objective is the lower grade, but potentially very large tonnage of magnetite gneiss. This type of material has the ability to be beneficiated into a valuable saleable product, however significant CAPEX for crushing/grinding/magnetic separation processing is required.

The Ngovayang Project is well served by access infrastructure including rail and road networks to and from the port city of Douala (see location map), which will greatly assist the exploration phases of work and potentially facilitate a start-up production transport system to port.

 

Ngovayang Project Area

The Ngovayang Project comprises three granted exploration permits with iron ore and gold potential.

Regional mapping of the Ngovayang Permit was originally undertaken by BRGM in 1986, click here to view the geology map. This mapping identified a NE-SW trending package of Archaean to Proterozoic age quartzitic metasediment, gneiss and amphibolite, as well as numerous itabirite units containing millimetre to centimetre thick bands of magnetite.

Within the Ngovayang Project, 115 strike km of itabirite has been identified in 24 separate zones. These itabirite zones, which can contain 20-45% Fe, are considered possible precursors for the formation of higher grade DSO mineralisation by supergene and/or alteration processes.

The Ngovayang aeromagnetic survey results identified the occurrence of magnetic units on a larger scale than previously known information indicated, confirming the iron ore prospectivity of the Ngovayang Project. Numerous structural targets for DSO were also evident throughout the Project Area.

Extensive reconnaissance work including mapping, rockchip sampling, trenching and pitting has been undertaken following up favourable aeromagnetic targets. Encouraging rockchip iron results (+60% Fe) were returned from a number of prospects. (ASX announcements of rockchip results were released on; 14 April 2010, 1 June 2010 and 28 October 2010).

The rockchip samples fall into three broad categories based on rock type and associated assay results; 1) massive magnetite, 2) goethitic/limonitic material, and 3) weathered magnetite gneiss with variable iron/silica content.

The massive magnetite group is characterised by high iron values between 63-69% Fe with associated low silica, alumina, phosphorus and loss on ignition (LOI) values. The goethitic/ limonitic group has an iron range of 47-63% Fe with varying levels of silica, alumina, phosphorus and LOI. Iron values of the weathered magnetite gneiss group have a range of 29-47% Fe (average 37% Fe) with associated silica ranging from 10-51% SiO₂ (average 35% SiO₂).

Legend commenced a 5,000m diamond drilling programme, utilising man portable rigs, on 4 August 2010, targeting a combination of aeromagnetic and topographic highs associated with +50% Fe rockchip sample results. (ASX Announcement: 4 August 2010). A total of 15 holes for 707.66m were completed over the Hill 464 and Alpha prospects in the Eseka area before the onset of heavy seasonal rain resulted in suspension of drilling. (ASX Announcement: 30 September 2010). Drilling activities will recommence over identified targets when weather conditions improve.

Prior to the suspension of the drilling campaign in September 2010 drilling intersected a sequence of up to 10m of ferruginous saprolite overlying a highly oxidised package of metasediment, including altered ferruginous quartzite and thin magnetite rich units. The thickness and iron grades (indicative grades from the Niton XRF analyser) of these units are not sufficient to be economic. The metasediments unconformably overlie a basement package of alternating garnet gneiss and magnetite gneiss followed by a zoned quartzite unit.

On 17 December 2010 legend secured title over a prospective extension of the Ngovayang project.
(ASX Announcement: 21 December 2010).

EP221 was officially granted to its 90% owned subsidiary Camina SA in Cameroon on 17 December 2010. The new permit is immediately south of EP144 at the Ngovayang Project and increased the project area by 667km2 to a contiguous 2,972km2.

Drilling activities recommenced on 27 January 2011 with the first hole collared at the Hill 355 target.
(ASX Announcement: 28 January 2011).

Ngovayang Project – Target Areas over Aeromagnetic Image
(Analytical Signal of Total Magnetic Intensity)

On 14 March 2011 Legend announced that a recently completed Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) test had confirmed the high grade magnetite potential of the Ngovayang Project. In addition, recently completed drillholes intercepted up to 86m of magnetite gneiss similar to the metallurgical test sample (ASX Announcement: 14 March 2011). The following tables show the results of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 DTR test work as reported on 14 March 2011:

On 11 May 2011 Legend announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for Access Co-operation with regards to usage of Sundance's rail and port infrastructure as part of its Mbalam Iron Ore Project. The LOI outlines that the two Australian-based companies with iron ore assets in Cameroon will together examine opportunities for how Sundance's proposed infrastructure may offer rail and port haulage to Legend's Ngovoyang Project. (ASX Announcement: 11 May 2011).

Positive confirmatory assay results from two diamond drillholes (NESD011 and 022) from the Alpha and Hill 419 targets were reported on 12 May 2011. (ASX Announcement: 12 May 2011).

Laboratory results from two diamond drillholes (NMELD002 and 007) at the Melombo North target were announced on 18 July 2011. The thickness and grade of these drill intersections are 91.2m @ 23.1% Fe in hole NMELD002 and 105.4m @ 29.5% Fe in hole NMELD007. (ASX Announcement: 18 July 2011).

On 15 August 2011 Legend announced the completion of the planned drilling programme at the Melombo West target. The best intercepts were in NMLWD001 – 53.05m @ 22.6% Fe and NMLWD002 – 125.98m @ 16.3% Fe. Six of the seven holes drilled reported magnetite of similar character and tenor to the results previously announced from the Alpha, Hill 335, Hill 419 and Melombo North targets.  (ASX Announcement: 15 August 2011).

Assay results were reported on 11 November 2011 from two diamond drill holes at Melombo East (DH044 and DH046).

• DH044 – 116.2m @ 26.2% Fe including 79.1m @ 29.7%Fe

• DH046 – 80.5m @ 36.6% Fe

Legend Managing Director Mr Mark Wilson said:

“These assay results, coupled with the coarse grained nature of the magnetite and width of the intercepts are potentially very significant for the project. The depth of both holes was constrained by the capability of the drilling equipment and the grades at the bottom of both the holes are at the higher end of the results. Our challenge now is to increase the pace of our drilling activity and as quickly as possible better define the magnetite potential at Melombo East.”

The mapped magnetite footprint at Melombo East is approximately 2.5km². The existing drilling together with ongoing geophysical modelling is expected to deliver a JORC compliant exploration target in the near future. Earlier reported metallurgical test work has shown that the sample tested resulted in a course grained, high grade, low impurity concentrate.

Geophysical modelling over Melombo East is ongoing incorporating information from the geological mapping and diamond drillholes. The preliminary results indicate a number of relatively continuous northwesterly dipping magnetic units over the entire 5km strike length of the aeromagnetic feature. This modelling assists with the direct targeting of the magnetite gneiss and has provided added confidence in the positioning of drillhole collars and will result in an “Exploration Target” in the near future. (ASX Announcement: 11 November 2011).

Melombo East Drillhole Location with Magnetite Gneiss Outcrop/Subcrop over Aeromagnetics

 

IMAGES FROM CAMEROON:

Eseka town - Ngovayang		Eseka Camp		Helicopter and people
Bibondi ridge - Ngovayang		Eseka Camp		Rail infrastructure
Eseka Office		Port infrastructure		Auger sampling at Eseka

Click on any of the photos above to view a larger image in a new window