VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - March 27, 2017) - East Africa Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: EAM) (or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from a multi targeted drill program at the Harvest and Adyabo Projects in the Arabian Nubian Shield of Ethiopia. The Company has conducted additional drill testing of the Harvest Project Mayshehagne and VTEM09 VMS prospects to potentially upgrade targets, confirm interpretation of mineralization, and assess targets for inclusion as potential satellite resource zones. Both prospects are located near the EAM's Terakimti resource deposit. Drill intercepts continue to reflect very strong metal grades seen in previous drilling, and identifies the need for further delineation work on the VMS prospects.
Additionally, infill drilling has continued at the Adyabo Project Mato Bula and Da Tambuk resource deposits, with a 5,000 metre diamond infill drilling program in progress at Mato Bula. Results of Mato Bula Silica Hill infill drilling are also included in this release.
Highlight intersections include:
- At Silica Hill - 31.55 metres grading 9.40 grams per tonne gold, and 0.10 % copper, from 111.32 metres drill depth, and;
- At VTEM09 - 24.06 metres grading 1.88 % copper, 3.08 grams per tonne gold, 66.4 grams per tonne silver, and 2.54 % zinc, from 35.84 metres drill depth, and;
- At Mayshehagne - 21.19 metres grading 4.32 % copper, 1.04 grams per tonne gold, 35.9 grams per tonne silver, and 6.98 % zinc, from 36.58 metres drill depth.
Harvest VMS Prospect diamond drilling
A total of 9 diamond drillholes have been completed at the Mayshehagne and VTEM09 VMS prospects. Results confirm the high base and precious metal grades encountered in previous drilling, and provide encouragement in assessing the prospects for further exploration, in parallel with Terakimti advancement. As a VMS prospect, Mayshehagne intercepts exhibit notably high grade base metal values, whereas intercepts at VTEM09 exhibit notably high grade precious metal values.
Mayshehagne and VTEM09 diamond drill intercepts
| Hole ID | | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m)1 | Copper % | Gold g/t2 | | Silver g/t | Zinc % | Local Azimuth | Dip | Prospect |
| HD011 | | 36.58 | 57.77 | 21.19 | 4.32 | 1.04 | | 35.9 | 6.98 | 90 | -55 | Mayshehagne |
| including | 36.58 | 46.60 | 10.02 | 7.74 | 1.89 | | 59.4 | 8.39 | |
| including | 52.60 | 56.00 | 3.40 | 2.84 | 0.62 | | 40.0 | 14.24 | |
| HD012 | | 58.84 | 71.07 | 12.23 | 5.15 | 1.07 | | 35.9 | 3.09 | 90 | -53 | Mayshehagne |
| HD013 | | 80.50 | 93.26 | 12.76 | 0.40 | 0.13 | | 1.30 | 0.25 | 90 | -54 | Mayshehagne |
| HD014 | | 26.15 | 36.95 | 10.80 | 5.86 | 1.22 | | 42.1 | 5.82 | 80 | -65 | Mayshehagne |
| including | 26.15 | 32.10 | 5.95 | 8.18 | 1.74 | | 62.8 | 8.18 |
| TVD006 | | 39.00 | 49.65 | 10.65 | 3.09 | 5.23 | | 68.6 | 4.25 | 263 | -49 | VTEM09 |
| TVD007 | | 65.53 | 72.25 | 6.72 | 0.84 | 1.32 | | 57.3 | 3.62 | 263 | -66 | VTEM09 |
| TVD008 | No Significant Results | 90 | -65 | VTEM09 |
| TVD009 | | 35.84 | 59.90 | 24.06 | 1.88 | 3.08 | | 66.4 | 2.54 | 270 | -50 | VTEM09 |
| including | 46.23 | 57.90 | 11.67 | 2.93 | 5.15 | | 105.8 | 4.89 |
| TVD010 | No Significant Results | 270 | -50 | VTEM09 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1True thicknesses are interpreted as 50-90% of stated intervals.
2No topcut has been used on analyses
Mato Bula Deposit diamond drilling
Work continues on upgrading the resource at the Mato Bula deposit, initially with a short infill drill program in the Silica Hill area, and a larger 5,000 metre infill program in the southern portion of the deposit. Large diameter core drilling was conducted on the central area of Silica Hill.
Results have been received for the initial Silica Hill drilling, and the larger 5,000 metre program is on-going with drilling completion estimated for the end of April 2017, and results expected prior to the end of Q2 2017.
Mato Bula diamond drill intercepts
| Hole ID | | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m)1 | | Gold g/t2,3 | Copper % | Local Azimuth | Dip | Prospect |
| WMD061 | | 105.84 | 126.26 | 20.42 | | 8.52 | 0.34 | 84 | -55 | Mato Bula |
| including | 106.84 | 123.45 | 16.61 | | 10.36 | 0.35 |
| including | 106.84 | 116.84 | 10.00 | | 15.02 | 0.37 |
| WMD062 | | 101.70 | 119.13 | 17.43 | | 1.46 | 0.11 | 84 | -45 | Mato Bula |
| including | 108.20 | 117.50 | 9.30 | | 2.22 | 0.16 |
| | 125.26 | 130.26 | 5.00 | | 1.78 | 0.04 |
| WMD063 | | 92.85 | 118.55 | 25.70 | | 5.06 | 0.19 | 84 | -47 | Mato Bula |
| including | 92.85 | 105.47 | 12.62 | | 9.21 | 0.32 |
| including | 99.47 | 105.47 | 6.00 | | 14.84 | 0.44 |
| WMD064 | | 111.32 | 142.87 | 31.55 | | 9.40 | 0.10 | 84 | -50 | Mato Bula |
| including | 119.10 | 125.10 | 6.00 | | 44.33 | 0.23 |
1True thicknesses are interpreted as 60-90% of stated intervals.
2No topcut has been used on analyses
3Intervals use a 0.3 gram per tonne gold cutoff value
Continuing Exploration
The first phase of an IP program targeted at the Mato Bula area has started mobilization. Results from this work are expected to help geophysically define the present deposit mineralized signature, identify additional drill targets, and provide guidance for EAM in the potential for rolling out a larger scale IP program over the entire multi-kilometre Mato Bula trend.
Additionally, as part of this phase of exploration, once exploration licence extensions are granted, EAM will conduct diamond drilling on other existing priority targets.
Quality Control
The planning, execution, and monitoring of EAM's drilling and quality control programs at the Harvest and Adyabo Projects has been conducted under the supervision of Jeff Heidema, P.Geo., EAM's Vice President Exploration. Mr. Heidema is a "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the geological information contained in this news release. Diamond drilling was coordinated by EAM's contract geologists who also managed the preparation, logging, and sampling of core and rock samples, in addition to carrying out bulk density measurements. During sampling, quality control standards and blanks were introduced at pre-determined intervals to monitor laboratory performance. A system of field, reject, and pulp sample duplicates was also incorporated, as were specific programs of re-assaying and umpire lab assaying to both monitor laboratory performance and also characterize potential mineralization; all consistent with industry best practice.
Drill core samples have undergone preliminary preparation at the Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories facility in Ankara, Turkey, and are crushed to 80% passing 10 mesh, and pulverized to 85% passing 200 mesh (PRP70-1KG package). Analyses are conducted at Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories in Vancouver, Canada, with diamond drill core analyses utilizing Aqua Regia digestion and ICP-ES for base metal and silver analyses (AQ370 package), and Infill sample program utilizing Aqua Regia digestion and ICP-MS/ICP-ES (AQ270 package) for base metal and silver analyses. Gold analyses are conducted via Fire Assay Fusion with AA finish, and gravimetric analyses are completed for over-limit samples (FA430, FA530-Au packages).
Information recorded from diamond drill core assaying was integrated using industry standard data management software (Maxwell Datashed).
More information on the Company can be viewed at the Company's website: www.eastafricametals.com
On behalf of the Board of Directors:
Andrew Lee Smith, P.Geo., CEO