LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Minerals exploration and development company Alien Metals announced on Thursday that the maiden drilling programme on its Hancock Iron Ore Project, part of its Hamersley Iron Ore Project in Western Australia, was now underway.
The AIM-traded firm said the drilling program would validate the recently-announced exploration targets at Hancock.

It would consist of a minimum of a 3,000 metre grid-based shallow reverse circulation drilling across priority targets, with a planned new drill line on the Sirius Extension prospect.

At least four target areas would be tested, with assay results from sampling expected in late February.

Follow up drilling would be planned based on the provisional results.

"We are extremely pleased to get underway with this maiden drilling program which the team has managed to deliver in a very short timeframe," said chief executive officer and technical director Bill Brodie Good.

"The recent sampling and mapping work completed at each phase has added confidence to the potential of both tenements.

"Alien also has the necessary permissions in place for the Hancock Project and the funding to start proving up the true potential of the historically known prospects - Kalgan and Sirius Extension - as well as some newly identified significant targets which we are about to start drilling."

Brodie Good said Three Rivers Drilling of Western Australia was a "tried and tested" drilling company with an "excellent" track-mounted reverse circulation rig, ideal for the initial programme.

"Our skilled technical team are keen to develop these exciting targets and to continue to develop this project up the knowledge and value curve.

"We are waiting on the necessary permissions for similar maiden drilling on the Brockman Project which also holds excellent potential.

"We are excited about the opportunity to add significant value to the project and develop next stage exploration from the outcome."

At 1143 GMT, shares in Alien Metals were up 4.21% at 1.12p.

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