Turners' Peninsula

In 2006 the Group acquired a two year, renewable Exclusive Prospecting Licence covering 1,742km2 in an area called Turners’ Peninsular, 40 km from the Group’s existing operations.

The licence area covers an extensive series of former beach strands the heavy mineral potential of which is indicated from data collected by the Geological Survey of Sierra Leone (“GSSL”) in the late 1980’s. This data was obtained from a preliminary bore and test pit programme undertaken on part of the licence area. The GSSL has previously reported mineral assemblages containing up to 15% heavy minerals (HM), comprising ilmenite, zircon, rutile and monazite with above 80% potential recorded in a number of samples. Encouraging levels of zircon were also observed with some sample reporting a ratio of nearly 1:1 ilmenite to zircon. Exploration of Turners’ Peninsular began in March 2007.