Robust unveils improved mineral resource estimates at Romang Island

By Romel S. Gurky

ASX-listed Robust Resources Limited announced on Tuesday improved indicated and inferred mineral resources estimates at its manganese project on Romang Island in Maluku Province.

The resource estimate was completed by independent consultants, Mining Associates (MA) of Brisbane to JORC (2012) standards, and includes additional drilling and analyses which were not available at the time of the original resource estimate in November, 2013, the company said in a statement.

New information has allowed MA to classify 56 percent of the resource tonnage as Indicated Mineral Resource and 44 percent as Inferred Mineral Resource:

Deposit	Resource Category	Material (t)	Grade (%)	Metal (t)
Manganese Valley	Indicated	413,000	41.6	172,000
	Inferred	274,000	39.5	108,000
Batu Hitam West	Inferred	51,000	45.7	23,000
Subtotal	Inferred	325,000	40.5	131,000
Total Resources	?	738,000	41.1	304,000
Manganese Project Mineral Resource Table (lower cut-off grade =30% Mn)

In addition to the improved resource classification, when compared to the previous estimate, there is a 30 percent increase in the tonnage and a 28 percent increase in the Mn metal content, Robus said. There is also a minor decrease in the average global grade from 42.1 percent Mn to 41.1 percent Mn.

Independent consultant, Equant Limited, who had previously prepared a Scoping Study based on the original resource estimate, is now in the process of updating their study with the new information. The revised scoping study results will be published later this month, the statement said.

Based on the results of the original scoping study, the company has commenced a feasibility study on the manganese project which is due for completion later in 2014. The revised scoping study is expected to reinforce the company?s plans to develop a small-scale manganese ore mining and processing operation on Romang Island.

Robust?s Managing Director Gary Lewis commented: ?The Romang Island Manganese Project has been enhanced by this new mineral resource estimate completed to JORC 2102 standards, as it shows both an increase in size and in quality. We are advancing the Feasibility Study for the manganese project and the enhanced quality and size of the resource demonstrates that this stand-alone project is likely to be a very important component of the development of Romang Island into a multi-commodity project.?

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak