November 23, 2011 |
Building the next major iron ore mine in the Labrador Trough |
Champion Minerals Inc. (“Champion”) is an iron ore Exploration and Development Company publicly traded on the TSX Exchange under the CHM symbol. Projects include the Fermont Holdings comprised of 17 highly prospective and strategically located brown-field projects located southwest of the town of Fermont. The Attikamagen project is located 15 km northeast of Schefferville and covers 310 km² over an 80 km property strike length. Champion also has an option agreement on two copper properties in central Newfoundland. Champion has an 82.5% direct interest in the Fermont Holdings located adjacent to the major Canadian iron ore producers. They are all proximal to hydroelectric-, road-, and rail-networks that connect to port facilities at Sept-Îles and Port-Cartier, on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Currently the focus is on the Fire Lake North feasibility study following Preliminary Economic Assessment studies. Infrastructure planning has been an integral part of all studies and the Fire lake North project is the first phase of a larger centralized concentrator concept fed by several proximal deposits currently being explored. Exploration started in 2009 and these projects now host over 1.5 billion tonnes at 25.4% iron (Fe),of NI43-101 compliant inferred mineral resources. Other projects host a combined 613 million tonnes of 31% Iron, considered to be historical and non-NI43-101 compliant. These estimates were based on very limited drilling and rudimentary geophysics and are considered conservative with significant upside exploration potential. Any new deposits outlined in the area will be advanced to pre-feasibility stage to determine how to integrate them into a centralized Fire Lake North concentrator concept fed by conveyors that can reach up to 30 km. Near Schefferville the Attikamagen Project contains multiple repetitions of the Sokoman Middle Iron Formation characterized by massive hematite/magnetite iron formation. Champion's joint-venture partner Century Iron Mines Corporation is drilling to test taconite and DSO target areas. In January 2011, WISCO and Minmetals of China entered into a joint venture agreement with Century Iron Mines Corporation. Champion has a strong financial position and growth profile. A 60,000 m diamond drill program is being completed in 2011 to increase the quantity and quality of iron ore mineral resources. Champion is on its way to becoming a major, long-life, iron ore producer in Eastern Canada, a politically stable region with existing infrastructure and a rapidly expanding production profile. The ever-increasing value of Champion’s asset portfolio is a reflection of its strategic importance within the context of the increasing world demand for iron ore; a trend that is expected to continue. |
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