Mkango Commences Geotechnical Drilling and Pitting Program at Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project in Malawi

LONDON and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mkango Resources Ltd (AIM / TSX-V: MKA) (the “Company” or “Mkango”), is pleased to announce that the management team of Mkango, as well as leading Malawian geotechnical engineering firm, Geoconsult Limited, and Zutari Limited, a geotechnical engineering firm which is based in South Africa, are on site at the Songwe Hill Rare Earths development project to commence a major geotechnical drilling and pitting program.

The geotechnical test work program will obtain samples from approximately 150 five-metre-deep pits and 22 twenty-metre drill holes and is being undertaken to confirm the soil and ground characteristics of the Songwe Hill project area.

The geotechnical samples are being tested and investigated in Malawi at the Geoconsult Limited laboratories in Lilongwe and will provide the detailed geotechnical information that is required to finalize the detailed engineering design plans, prior to the completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study in Q1 2022.

Alexander Lemon, President of Mkango Resources Limited, commented: “This major geotechnical investigation program is currently employing and training over 120 local Malawian skilled and unskilled personnel. We are very proud to be working with leading Malawian companies such as Geoconsult and also Torrent a local Blantyre based plant hire company, promoting Malawian local content and community participation in the ongoing development of this exciting Rare Earths project.”

To stay up to date with our current activity on the ground, you can join Mkango on Twitter @mkangoresources and LinkedIn

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ('MAR') which has been incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ('RIS'), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

About Mkango Resources Limited

Mkango's corporate strategy is to develop new sustainable primary and secondary sources of neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium to supply accelerating demand from electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean technologies. This integrated Mine, Refine, recycle strategy differentiates Mkango from its peers, uniquely positioning the Company in the rare earths sector.

Mkango is developing Songwe Hill in Malawi with a Feasibility Study targeted for completion in Q1 2022. Malawi is known as "The Warm Heart of Africa", a stable democracy with existing road, rail and power infrastructure, and new infrastructure developments underway.

In parallel, Mkango recently announced that Mkango and Grupa Azoty PULAWY, Poland's leading chemical company and the second largest manufacturer of nitrogen and compound fertilizers in the European Union, have agreed to work together towards development of a rare earth Separation Plant at Pulawy in Poland. The Separation Plant will process the purified mixed rare earth carbonate produced at Songwe.

Through its ownership of Maginito (), Mkango is also developing green technology opportunities in the rare earths supply chain, encompassing neodymium (NdFeB) magnet recycling as well as innovative rare earth alloy, magnet, and separation technologies. Maginito holds a 25% interest in UK rare earth (NdFeB) magnet recycler, HyProMag () with an option to increase its interest to 49%.

Mkango also has an extensive exploration portfolio in Malawi, including the Mchinji rutile project, in addition to the Thambani uranium-tantalum-niobium-zircon project and Chimimbe nickel-cobalt project.

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango, its business, the Separation Plant and Songwe. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “is expected to”, “scheduled”, “estimates” “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will”, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, governmental action relating to COVID-19, COVID-19 and other market effects on global demand and pricing for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, factors relating the development of the Separation Plant, including the outcome and timing of the completion of the feasibility studies, cost overruns, complexities in building and operating the Separation Plant, changes in economics and government regulation, the positive results of a feasibility study on Songwe Hill and delays in obtaining financing or governmental approvals for, and the impact of environmental and other regulations relating to, Songwe Hill and the Separation Plant. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

For further information on Mkango, please contact:

Mkango Resources Limited

William Dawes                        

Chief Executive Officer                

 

Alexander Lemon

President 

 

Canada:



@MkangoResources

Blytheweigh

Financial Public Relations

Tim Blythe

UK: 4

SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP

Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker

Jeff Keating, Caroline Rowe

UK: 0

Alternative Resource Capital

Joint Broker

Alex Wood, Keith Dowsing

UK: 4/5

Bacchus Capital Advisers

Strategic and Financial Adviser

Richard Allan, Andrew Krelle

UK: 2 / 3

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.