Robust updates Romang gold project
Friday, October 1 2010 - 07:00 AM WIB
Lakuwahi Project
The Lakuwahi Volcanic centre is the relic of the southern-most of two extinct volcanoes, which form Romang Island. This sub-sea volcano erupted rocks of andesitic composition, which is normal for a volcano situated along the Sunda-Banda magmatic arc. The plate-tectonic collision of the Australian plate with the Banda arc caused the simultaneous cessation of volcanic activity and rapid uplift of the volcano to near sea level. During the uplift the remnant heat in the dying volcano drove a large system of gold, silver and base-metal-bearing hydrothermal fluids that altered and mineralised the rocks in the Lakuwahi volcanic centre. Coral reefs formed at shallow sea depths as the volcano was being up-lifted. Hydrothermal activity occurred episodically which probably killed the coral and partially mineralised the coralline limestone beds.
Further uplift to present-day elevations coincided with a cooling of the hydrothermal system ? although there is evidence of minor fumarolic activity and associated native sulphur deposition occurring even now.
Drilling Results
Diamond drilling at the Lakuwahi Project was greatly accelerated by Robust during the reporting period and the Company now has four owner-operated diamond drill rig on site. These diamond drill rigs have drilled on three prospects, Batu Mas (literal meaning Gold Rocks), Batu Hitam (meaning Black Rocks), and Batu Jagung (translates as ?Corn Rocks? in reference to the mineralised outcrops discovered in local famers? corn fields).
Batu Jagung produced some highly encouraging first pass drill results, however Robust has suspended drilling in this area for the present time, so that the drill rigs can be concentrated on site at Batu Mas and Batu Hitam to follow up the significant precious metal mineralisation at those prospects.
Batu Mas
Robust continued drilling at Batu Mas during the reporting period with two diamond drill rigs active at the prospect producing highly encouraging results. A total of 24 diamond drill holes for 3,264.1 metres were drilled at the Batu Mas Prospect during the period.
Results have been received for 22 holes at the time of this report, all of which encountered precious metal mineralisation of potentially economic grades and widths, significantly extending the identified zones of near-surface, high-grade gold-silver mineralisation.
Batu Hitam
Drilling at Batu Hitam continued to produce excellent results during the reporting period. One of Robust?s man-portable diamond drill rigs has been continuously active on site, while another rig, the Company?s fourth, began drilling at the prospect in June 2010. A total of 23 diamond drill holes for 2,568.7 metres were drilled at the Batu Hitam Prospect and results were returned for 22 holes during the year.
At the Batu Hitam prospect, 87% of drill holes returned positive results during FY2010. These results continue to validate Robust?s exploration strategy of working systematically from the known to the unknown, obtaining valuable knowledge of the geological setting and controls on the mineralisation, leading to further exploration success. Using this approach the company drilled hole LWD 066 which intersected altered and mineralized.
Batu Jagung
Robust also received results from the Batu Jagung base metal prospect in the northern area of the Lakuwahi Project area. Results included:
LWD 057: From 4m to 31m: 27 metres at 74 glt Ag
And: From 56m to 131 m: 75 metres at 2.0% combined Cu+Pb+Zn
These are highly encouraging first pass drill results in this new prospect, however Robust has suspended drilling in this area for the present time, so that an additional drill rig can be utilised on site at Batu Mas to follow up the significant precious metal mineralisation recently identified.
To put the current exploration program into perspective, only a very small proportion of the prospective Lakuwahi Project has been drilled. Interpretation of remodelled magnetic survey data indicates a mineralising system approximately 6Km x 4 Km in extent. Robust?s drilling to date has tested less than less than 1% of the system.
Planned Exploration for the next reporting period
Robust will be targeting an aggressive drilling campaign in FY 2011, with activity centred on the Company?s two key prospect areas - Batu Mas and Batu Hitam. Robust will be expanding its in-house drill fleet to six in FY 2011, allowing for increased exploration across the Lakuwahi Project, as well as the commencement of drilling at the highly prospective North Romang Solath Project.
The Robust Board has approved the FY2011 budget of $10 million of which over 80 cents in every dollar will be injected directly into the exploration program on Romang. Key initiatives of this budget include:
? Funding for an aggressive +27,000 metre drill campaign, to accelerate resource delineation.
? Continuation of the IP survey at Lakuwahi, with expansion to the Solath Project.
? Continued Metallurgical testwork on precious and base metals.
? Expansion of exploration teams including three additional geologists and a drilling manager to drive safety, training and production ? bringing the total to over 100 people working on Romang Island.
? Increased charter flights to facilitate better access to site for personnel and supplies.
? Boosting infrastructure on Romang and Kisar with purchase of vehicles, generators and a sample preparation lab (Kisar).
? Heightened community development presence and program. (end of excerpt)