Oropa strikes bonanza at N. Sumatra gold project

Australian mining firm Oropa Limited reported on Thursday a bonanza grade near-surface gold intersection from the recent drilling of Ali vein in the central part of the Hutabargot Julu prospect in its Pungkut gold project, North Sumatra.

The Ali vein was discovered earlier this year by mapping and surface sampling, which consistently returned anomalous gold with some high grades (maximum 136 g/t Au) from within an inferred 330m strike length,it said.

The company said that five diamond drill holes have now been drilled at intervals along the Ali vein. Most holes intersected narrow zones of stringer quartz veins and clay, with low-to-moderate gold grades returned from these zones.

Another drilling program is planned for Hutabargot Julu after a suitable rig is located to test the high grade mineralisation at Ali, which is open to the south.

The company revealed in a presentation earlier that it would initially focus the FS on Sihayo-Sambung prospect in early 2009, which currently host inferred resources of 710,000 grams of gold.

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