Further drilling confirms significant new silver discovery on Romang Island

By Pusspita Maylana Devi

ASX-listed Robust Resources Limited announced Tuesday assay results from diamond drill hole LWD 335, which was drilled on the Batu Putih trend on Romang Island, Indonesia.

The company said in a statement the discovery of large-scale silver mineralisation is confirmed by a third significant intersection at Batu Putih from near surface. The zone remains open along strike to the northwest and laterally. Dillhole LWD 335 intersected:

129m at 61 g/t Ag from 7m, including sub intervals as follows:
o 58.9m at 122 g/t Ag from 8m
o 22.2m at 194 g/t Ag from 9m
o 13.0m @ 130 g/t Ag from 49.4m

LWD 335 also intersected a gold-rich zone at 106m depth including 6m at 1.69 g/t Au (see table 1). The hole was drilled 80 metres along strike, to the southeast of LWD 327 (see figure 1), which also intersected broad silver mineralisation (142m at 40 g/t Ag including 11m at 109 g/t Ag and 8m at 166 g/t Ag) as announced on 16 July 2013.

Robust continues to explore aggressively on Romang Island with seven diamond drill rigs operating across a number of highly prospective targets. Due to the significant results from Batu Putih, an eighth diamond rig is being recommissioned in order to fast-track exploration at the Batu Putih silver target, the company said.

Massive and deeper silver mineralisation at Batu Putih has encouraged the board to commence a new conceptual study, introducing flotation at an earlier stage, and mining and processing the Lakuwahi deposits at a higher throughput than previously anticipated. At the same time, the company is also assessing a lower-capex start-up mining operation targeting high-grade manganese ore, which may generate an early stage cash flow.

Robust?s Managing Director Gary Lewis commented: ?It is evident from the 35,000 metres of diamond drilling undertaken to date, and these recent assay results, that the Lakuwahi prospect hosts a sizeable silver-goldpolymetallic system. With seven rigs drilling and an eighth to commence shortly, it is clear that the mineralised system and resource base on Romang is expected to keep growing.?

Commencing with a larger scale mining and processing operation from the outset, with potential to recover more of the precious and base metals, provides the company with a real opportunity to maximise value from the Romang Island Project.

?With the support of our project partner the Salim Group, we are confident in our ability to fund a larger project. As well as this new study, we remain committed to assessing the development of a low-capex, high-grade manganese mining operation, which we hope, will generate early cash and improve the overall project returns,? Lewis said.

?We are very encouraged with the way Romang Island is shaping up, to the point where we have submitted an application for a mining license, and this marks an important step in the next phase of our growth.?

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak