Southern Hemisphere Mining Limited has released its Quarterly Activities Report for the period ending 31 March 2023.

⚒️ HIGHLIGHTS – (View PDF)

  • High-grade rock chips up to 17.5% Cu and 1,495g/t Ag expand the mineralised footprint of the Llahuin Copper-Gold Project in Chile
  • The Llahuin Southern Porphyry Copper/Gold/Moly target is advancing – located within a large circular magnetic feature – a classic porphyry style magnetic target
  • Los Pumas Battery Manganese Project: Studies are in progress to evaluate the potential for production of High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (‘HPMSM’) at site in Northern Chile to supply the North American EV market

Southern Hemisphere Mining Limited (ASX: SUH, FWB: NK4) reports the quarterly activity report for the period ended 31 March 2023 at its Llahuin Copper/Gold/Moly Project in central Chile and its Los Pumas Manganese Battery Metal Project in Northern Chile.

Figure 1. Llahuin Copper/Gold/Moly project location map, noting close to the coast, towns, road and ~6km to grid power infrastructure

EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

⚒️ Llahuin Copper-Gold-Moly Project – 100% owned

During the quarter under review, the Company continued its exploration work to expand the Llahuin copper (eq) resources from the current 680,000t CuEq resource to the size where mining studies can commence, for a long mine life, substantial operation.

Geological mapping of areas previoulsy un-explored within the project area continued. The best samples included 17.5% and 16.3% copper, 0.94g/t gold and 1,495g/t silver. Three other standout results included 2.74% copper, 0.58g/t gold and 1,045g/t silver.

Further north of Cerro de Oro results received were 16.6% copper, 0.94g/t gold and 1g/t silver, complemented by another strong sample of 16.3% copper, 0.13g/t gold and 4g/t silver.

(Refer ASX Announcement dated 3 February 2023, High-Grade Rock Chips – 17.5% Cu & 1,495g/t Ag – Llahuin).

Figure 2. Llahuin Prospects areas with prospect outlines, >400ppm Copper in soil contour (simplified) on magnetics and
showing scale comparative to the Kalgoorlie Superpit.

Figure 3. Oreblocks in each of the three deposits, Central drilled deeper and +90% in measured category, no further exploration drilling required to progress to mining studies. Cerro-Ferro only lightly and shallow drilling with connection potential over 1.9km –a large growth target

The Company completed a second infill soil sampling program which has confirmed and added gold to the new Southern Porphyry target in the South of the Llahuin Project area.

An oblong copper/gold in soil anomaly with a footprint similar to the Central deposit and shows a robust +500ppm copper in soil contour with a peak value of 0.22% (2,232ppm) copper in soil. The core 1,000ppm copper contour extends for approximately 200m in a NNW direction.

The Southern Porphyry gold assays show a robust, coincident +40ppb gold in soil anomaly associated with the copper in soil anomaly with a peak value of 240ppb gold. The anomaly is spatially associated with a large circular magnetic high which is interpreted to be a porphyry signature.

(Refer ASX Announcement dated 18 January 2023, Copper Infill Sampling – Llahuin Project)

Figure 4. Showing the Southern Porphyry Copper/Gold/Moly growth target ~2km from the Ferro deposit.

⚒️ Los Pumas Manganese Project – 100% owned

The Company advanced technical work on the Los Pumas Manganese deposit in Northern Chile towards a battery grade product to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles (‘EV’).

Figure 5. Los Pumas project area, tenement marker in foreground. Flat lying area, good road access, optimal topography for establishing an operation

Studies are in progress to evaulate the potential for production of High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (‘HPMSM’) at site to supply the North American and other EV markets. Los Pumas hosts a resource of 23.7mt of Manganese ore, with potential for expansion.

The ore is from surface, ideal for open pit low-cost mining and near the port of Arica in Northern Chile for simple product export to the US and for the US EV production facilities.

(Refer ASX Announcement dated 23 January 2023, HPMSM – Los Pumas Project).

Figure 6. A Chilean Independent Consulting Geologist pointing out one of the previously overlooked high grade Manganese feeder zones outcropping at surface that would be the focus of future diamond drilling

On 22 March 2023, the Company reported that Mn Energy Ltd, a specialist manganese processing company, had completed the first stage leach amenability test-work on ore provided from the Los Pumas Manganese Project, with excellent results.

The leach amenability test-work determined that the Los Pumas manganese ore was suitable for HPMSM for the battery metals market.

The Los Pumas ore achieved ~99% extraction of manganese under “standard” leach conditions, producing a leach solution containing 80g/L manganese.

(Refer ASX Announcement dated 23 March 2023, Amended – Leach Amenability Test-Work Completed – Los Pumas).

Figure 7. Showing high grade manganese (dark/black rock) in several thick layers from surface, in optimal low cost mining topography and configuration.

CORPORATE ACTIVITIES

Chile is a well established tier one mining jurisdiction and holds an A2 Moodys credit rating. Recent acquisitions by major copper producers in the country attest to its attributes, for example, South321 purchase of 45% of Sierra Gorda for US$1.55bn in Nov ’21 and Lundin Mining’s2 purchase of 51% of Casserones Copper mine for US$950m last month.

View the full PDF of the Quarterly Activities Report here

COMPETENT PERSON / QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT:
The information in this report that relates to copper and gold exploration results for the Company’s Projects is based on information compiled by Mr Adam Anderson, who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and The Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Anderson has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the “Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves”. Mr Anderson is a consultant for the Company and consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

News Release
Date: 26 April 2023 | ASX Code: SUH

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Southern Hemisphere Mining Limited is an experienced minerals explorer in Chile, South America. Chile is the world’s leading copper producing country and one of the most prospective regions of the world for major new copper discoveries. The Company’s projects include the Llahuin Porphyry Copper-Gold-Moly Project, the adjacent Colina 2 Gold Project, and the Los Pumas Manganese EV Battery Project, all of which were discovered by the Company.

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