Oropa re-starts N. Sumatra gold drilling program

Australian gold miner Oropa Limited announced on Wednesday that it has resumed drilling at the Hutabargot Julu prospect at its 75%-owned Pungkut gold project in North Sumatra.

The drilling will test a number of promising new targets generated by a multi-element soil geochemical sampling program conducted at the high-grade Sarahan epithermal vein system, the company said in statement.

Hutabargot Julu has been Oropa?s primary regional exploration target over the past nine months, with programs testing intermediate-sulphidation epithermal quartz and massive silica alteration in veins interpreted to extend over a strike length of up to 3km.

Vein textures at Hutabargot Julu indicate that little erosion has occurred within this system, creating a suitable environment for high-grade gold mineralisalion to be preserved beneath the moderately mineralised outcropping quartz veins. The length, width, orientation and continuity of veining within the prospect area indicate a very large system, with the potential to host massive gold accumulations.

Most of Oropa?s exploration to date has focused on the central Sarahan vein, which is part of Hutabargot Julu.

Earlier, the Ali vein, located to the west of Sarahan, was discovered during this campaign with five drill holes completed in this area. The southernmost drill-hole (HUTDD018) returned a bonanza grade intercept of 5m @ 37.7 g/t Au from 47m, after the earlier drill holes had encountered patchy gold mineralisation further to the north of HUTDD018.

Oropa has 75 percent stake in Pungkut gold project, with IDX-listed miner PT.Aneka Tambang holding the balance.(denny)