MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Feasibility Study for De-Mining.

Widespread Gold in Falklands Leads to Mining Company Talks

Numerous gold grains, measuring up to 3mm, have been discovered in a number of streams on both East and West Falkland, indicating that gold mineralisation is widespread. In one particular area gold has been found in a number of steams over a distance of 30 kilometres. In addition, Falkland Islands Mineral Resources report that chromite of possible kimberlitic affinity has also been recovered from the streams, indicating the possibility for the discovery of Kimberlites similar to those in South Africa, which host diamonds. The recovery of rutile and zircon from particular streams has also highlighted the potential for mineral sand deposits and a high grade titanium oxide material occurring as rock fragments in the streams and rivers has also been found. Work is now being planned to explore the significant beach sand deposits on the Falklands for the accumulation of heavy minerals. The Falkland Mineral joint venture, which is an Exploration Joint Venture between Cambridge Mineral Resources, Falkland Islands Mineral Development Limited and Falkland Islands Holdings Plc has described the results to date as positive and has commenced talks with a number of major mining companies with the aim of seeking an additional partner to assist in the next stage of the exploration, including a planned aerial geophysical survey. FIMD as the technical manager of the joint venture has been conducting the primary and follow-up exploration work over the last 18 months and report previously undiscovered geological concepts for the Falklands. One such model proposes that, the 12,000 square kilometres of the Falkland Islands were originally adjacent to the East Coast of Southern Africa leading to the possibility of Southern African style gold mineralisation.

EOD Mine Clearance Fire

The mine clearance carried out by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, in the vicinity of Sappers Hill yesterday, resulted in a fire inside a minefield which took approximately 7 hours to extinguish. Four major fire appliances, a 3000-gallon water bowser and eighteen fire fighters were present at the scene between 4pm and 11pm. Fire Officer Gardner Fiddes reported th