Barisan Gold: Exploration update of Aceh gold-copper discovery

By Ruli Setiawan

TSX-listed Barisan Gold Corporation provided investors on Thursday with the following update on exploration activities at its Upper Tengkereng gold-copper porphyry discovery, located in the Province of Aceh.

Assay Results
Final assay results have been received for holes UTD-007 and UTD-008. UTD-007 was a vertical hole drilled in the eastern part of the deposit to test the vertical extensions of the high-grade zone discovered in that area in holes UTD-002/003/005 whereas UTD-008 was drilled in the southern portion of the deposit to test the newly discovered near surface high-grade zone located in that area.

Hole UTD-008 is the best hole drilled so far at Upper Tengkereng, returning the highest grades intercepted over the entire length of a hole as well as the longest intercept above 1% copper equivalent of any hole drilled so far at Upper Tengkereng. As a whole, UTD-008 returned 890 metres of 0.5 g/t gold + 0.5% copper (0.8% copper equivalent at current market prices) 4 metres from surface to the bottom of the hole at 894 metres, including 506 meters of 0.7 g/t gold + 0.6% copper (1.1% copper equivalent at current market prices) from 188 metres to 694 metres.

Geological understanding of the near surface high-grade zone is advancing following receipt of the drill results and assays from holes UTD-002/006/008. Based on results so far, the zone seems to be approximately 700-800 metres depth starting from surface and contains three distinct types of mineralization stacked one on top of the other. From surface to approximately 100 metres depth, there is the presence of a top layer of advanced argillic altered hydro breccia mineralization where grades average approximately 0.4-0.6% copper equivalent; from 100 to 400 metres depth, there is the presence of high-grade covellite rich silica-pyrophyllite-alunite mineralization where grades average 1.0-1.2% copper equivalent; and from 400 to 800 metres depth, there is the presence of high-grade chalcocite-chalcopyrite mineralization where grades average 0.7-1.0% copper equivalent.

Similarly, hole UTD-007 was the second best hole drilled so far at Upper Tengkereng, after hole UTD-008. UTD-007 returned 824 metres of 0.7 g/t gold + 0.3% copper (0.7% copper equivalent at current market prices) 292 metres from surface to the bottom of the hole at 1,116 metres (UTD-007 was drilled from outside the porphyry back towards it, hence why the first 292 metres were not meaningful), including 386 meters of 0.8 g/t gold + 0.5% copper (1.0% copper equivalent at current market prices) from 510 metres to 896 metres.

Ongoing Drilling
Drilling continued throughout the summer at Upper Tengkereng, save for the Idul Fitri holiday period in late July/early August. Holes UTD-009 and UTD-011 have since been completed and hole UTD-012 has recently started. Unfortunately hole UTD-010 was abandoned.

UTD-009 was drilled from a new platform located at the south-central edge of the porphyry discover and was drilled in a southeast-northwest direction (302 degree azimuth) with a shallow dip of 50 degrees. UTD-009 was the first hole drilled on a north-south axis into the near-surface high-grade zone previously discovered in holes UTD-002/006/008. Objectives of hole UTD-009 were to extend the footprint of the high-grade zone along the north-south axis. Assays are pending.

UTD-011 was drilled in the opposite direction of UTD-009 (120 degree azimuth) also with a shallow dip of 50 degrees to test the same north-south axis of the near-surface high-grade zone but drilling towards the south. With the rig sitting in the southern edge of the deposit, hole UTD-011 was a short hole to identify the boundaries of the zone. Assays are pending.

UTD-012 began last week and is in the same direction as UTD-011 but with a steeper dip of 85 degrees allowing for a more vertical definition of the high-grade zone in the southern edge of the deposit. As of September 1, 2014, UTD-012 had reached 244 metres in length.

Exploration Program for Next 12 Months
Barisan Gold has refocused all its efforts on the near surface high-grade zone located in the south-central part of the deposit. All resources (drilling, geology, human and financial) are being directed towards that area with a 12-month objective of producing a maiden mineral resource estimate in accordance with NI 43-101.

Initially, the focus will be on delineating the boundaries of the zone. Approximately 10 holes of various lengths and dips have been planned to delineate the east-west-north-south boundaries of the near-surface high-grade zone. At this stage, the zone remains open in all directions, except towards the southeast corner where hole UTD-011 reached the boundary of the porphyry deposit.

After having delineated the boundaries of the zone, resource drilling will commence, where at least 8-10 holes will be required (in addition to holes already drilled or being planned) depending on the final footprint of the zone.

Barisan Gold retained the independent laboratory services of PT Intertek Utama Services of Jakarta, Indonesia, which, in the case of UTD-007/008, employed the fire assay method (FA50) on gold samples and for other precious and base metal analyses, ICP with multi acid digestion.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak