EAS Intercepts 646 m of gold and copper in Tengkereng porphyry system

Vancouver-based mineral explorer East Asia Minerals Corporation (EAS) reported on Monday that results from drilling the first hole at Upper Tengkereng confirmed the presence of a gold-rich porphyry system within its Barisan II Project area, in Aceh province.

According to the company, the entire 646.25 metre hole was mineralised averaging 0.39 g/t gold and 0.21% copper and included a significant intersection of 268 metres of 0.57 g/t gold and 0.26% copper from 318 to 586 metres.

Significant near surface gold mineralisation was also intercepted, including 14 to 82 metres of 0.51 g/t gold and 0.21% copper.

"We are particularly encouraged by the results we have received from the first drill hole in our porphyry program," commented Michael Hawkins, President and CEO of East Asia Minerals Corporation. "Our results represent a significant increase in grade over the historical results. This may be due to the gold grades in previous work being understated, or alternatively, a vectoring in the system toward higher gold-copper grades. Upper Tengkereng was drilled first in our porphyry program because of logistical considerations. Each of the five other known porphyry centres in our portfolio have even better historical results and surface indications than Upper Tengkereng. We are therefore very confident of being able to demonstrate that our porphyry portfolio has great potential to add significant value to EAS. We intend to drill test the other porphyries sometime during 2009."

EAS' Barisan II Project encompasses a cluster of six known porphyry centers within a 6.2 kilometre by 3 kilometre block.

Previous work at Tengkereng was conducted by a major company and was stopped for non-technical reasons.

East Asia Minerals is an Asian-based, Canadian mineral exploration company with gold and copper exploration properties in Indonesia, and uranium exploration properties in Mongolia. In Indonesia the Company has a 70 to 85% interest in six advanced gold and gold-copper properties located in Aceh Province, Sumatra, and Sangihe Island, North Sulawesi. Two of these, the Sangihe (Binebase-Bawone) and Barisan 1 (Abong) gold projects are being drilled to define NI 43-101 compliant resources. (alex)