MMS.L Regulatory News (MMS)

16 Apr 2007 07:01

Maghreb Minerals PLC16 April 2007 MAGHREB MINERALS PLC Appointment of Consultant Geologists to accelerate exploration programme Maghreb Minerals Plc ("Maghreb" or "the Company"), the AIM-quoted explorationcompany developing base metal and industrial mineral deposits in North Africa,is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Chris Clayton and Dr Alastair Bairdas Consulting Geologists to provide geological support to Maghreb's expandingand accelerating exploration and development programmes in Tunisia. Dr Clayton and Dr Baird bring a wealth of experience to Maghreb, having workedtogether extensively in Tunisia for over 20 years. They are co-founders ofMejerda Exploration, which supplies geological and geochemical expertise to themineral industry on sediment-hosted mineral deposits. Both have specialistknowledge of sedimentary structures and geochemistry as these relate to thedeposition of sedimentary-hosted lead-zinc mineralisation in the region. Fieldmapping and the evaluation of structural and stratigraphic settings forlead-zinc mineralisation led to the formulation of the thrust-related geologicalmodel which is being followed for the exploration of the Company's explorationpermits in Tunisia. Maghreb's exploration programme in Tunisia this year will include field mapping,geophysics, geochemistry and drilling to evaluate and extend known resources atthree past producing mines and surrounding areas. The Company's prime focus is the evaluation and expansion of the known resourcesat the three past producing mines of Fej Lahdoum, Bou Jabeur and Zriba/Guebli(Zaghouan). These programmes are focused on advancing these projects towardspre-feasibility studies in the near term. Extensions to the known resources willbe sought in the near mine area and in the Company's adjacent, 100% held,exploration permits. Further exploration programmes are planned at Lorbeus and Djebba Goraa. Dr Chris Clayton BSc, PhD, ARSM, FGS served as a geoscientist with BP Researchbefore forming an international business in 1992 based in the UK workingpredominantly in petroleum exploration worldwide. He is also a director ofPetroflux Ltd, a consultancy and project management service for the petroleumindustry and is a former senior honorary research fellow at Kingston University.His research, which relates to the geochemistry of Cretaceous rocks and flowmechanisms of petroleum and water in fine-grained sediments, has particularrelevance to the understanding of MVT type lead-zinc deposit formation inTunisia. Dr Alastair Baird BSc, MSc, D.I.C., PhD, FGS, C.Geol (University of Kingston, UK) has consulted for both major and junior oil and mineral companies for over 20 years. His specialist expertise, which is of direct relevance to Maghreb'sexploration programme, includes the structural evolution, petroleum and mineralpotential of Tunisia, the evolution of Alpine/Mediterranean petroliferous basinsand orogenic belts, the evolution, geometry, uplift and maturation history ofinverted basin margins and post-rift sedimentation, differential compaction andfault reactivation across basin bounding faults. Applying this knowledgeProfessor Baird has modelled the evolution of basins and the related controls tomineralisation pertinent to the mineralised areas of Tunisia. He gained furtherknowledge through the successful supervision of postgraduate studentsresearching the structural evolution of northern Tunisia and the timing of oilmigration in the Atlas thrust front of central Tunisia. Gordon Riddler, Executive Chairman commented: "I am very pleased to welcome Chris Clayton and Alastair Baird to the Companyand for them to have a hands-on role in the exploration programme. Theadditional specialist geological support that they bring will be invaluable aswe significantly expand and accelerate the Company's exploration programme,following the successful conclusion of the two title agreements over the formermining concessions at Bou Jabeur and Fej Lahdoum." The technical content of this press release has been reviewed by the ExecutiveChairman of Maghreb Minerals plc, Gordon Riddler, BSc, MBA, FIMMM, CEng, CSciwho has 40 years of experience in the mining sector and is a Fellow of theInstitute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, a recognised professionalassociation. 16th April 2007 ENQUIRIES: Maghreb Minerals Plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7556 7038Gordon Riddler, Executive Chairman Hanson Westhouse Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7601 6100Tim Metcalfe / Anita Ghanekar Bankside Consultants Tel: +44 (0) 20 7367 8888Michael Padley / Michael Spriggs This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange