Robust updates Romang gold project
Monday, October 31 2011 - 03:51 AM WIB
Exploration Programme
During the September quarter, Robust continued an aggressive drilling programme with 6 diamond drill rigs at the Batu Mas and Batu Hitam prospects at the Lakuwahi Project Area, with the completion of 25 drill holes for 2,381.25 meters of HQ/NQ diamond drilling. The Company had cumulatively completed 163 diamond drill holes for 20,833 metres as at the end of the quarter.
The results of that extensional 3-D IP-Resistivity survey were modelled during the reporting period and have greatly expanded the resistivity anomalies, and potential mineralisation, underneath the limestone in previously masked areas.
The geological team has also continued working on the geological model, based on the drilling results and surface geological mapping, which is being used to finalise a maiden JORC code compliant resource estimate, which will be published before the end of the upcoming quarter.
Consulting geologist Philip Miscandlon has been engaged to assist the Robust team towards developing the geological model, and brings with him a wealth of experience relevant to the epithermal vein/breccia-hosted precious and base metal mineralisation present at Romang Island.
All drill samples for inclusion in the upcoming maiden JORC resource estimate have now been received at the Intertek laboratory in Jakarta are in the process of analysis.
Other activities at the Lakuwahi Project during the quarter have included the upgrade of camp infrastructure through the addition of more accommodation and messing facilities at both the main Lakuwahi Base Camp and also the Drillers Camp closer to the prospects. Upgrading of access to all main prospect areas by improvements to tracks now allows for ?all-weather? access and has greatly sped up the supply/logistics efforts at Lakuwahi.
At the North Romang Project Area the Company?s seventh company owned-operated diamond drill rig continued drilling during the September quarter. This rig is undertaking a 5,000 metre exploratory drill programme to test the considerable chargeability anomalies identified by the 3D Induced Polarisation - Resistivity survey completed during the Drevious quarter.
Ongoing Community Relations work continues to build solid working relationships with the communities on Romang, with a strong emphasis on sustainable development programmes. These programmes are all developed in conjunction with those communities to ensure that solid partnerships are established with the communities, external agencies and local government around development initiatives.
During the reporting period Robust finalised the purchase of a second sea-going vessel (the ?Silver Spirit?) to service the Kupang (West Timor) - Romang Island route, a 300 nautical mile journey. This vessel will be able to complete the trip safely and economically in approximately 15 hours under normal weather conditions. This vessel will largely eliminate the reliance of the Company upon coastal trading vessels for goods (e.g. sample despatch) and reduce the frequency of constrained fixed-wing charter flights for personnel.
Planned work for the next quarter
The Company will continue to focus on the finalisation of the maiden JORC code compliant resource estimate from the Lakuwahi Project. Preparations for this estimate are well advanced and the Company believes that it will be released towards the end of the December 2011 quarter.
While Lakuwahi Project drilling has temporarily been suspended to allow the geological team to compile data for the maiden JORC code compliant mineral resource; and to carry out maintenance on the Company?s drilling fleet, which has been working continuously since November 2008, it is envisaged that drilling will recommence early in the New Year. The 2012 drill programme will comprise a mixture of resource extension drilling and exploration drilling of some of the exciting new prospects identified from the different phases of geophysical surveys. Specifically this exploration drilling will test for, and expand on, mineralisation identified under the upper limestone units covering two-thirds of the Lakuwahi Project Area.
Soil sampling and ground magnetic surveys also continue to assist the exploration teams in defining new anomalies for drill testing at the Lakuwahi Project.
Drilling will also continue at the exciting North Romang Project Area. This drilling, as mentioned previously, is part of a 5,000 metre diamond drilling programme testing very large chargeability anomalies, identified in a 3-D IP-Resistivity survey, in areas highly prospective for porphyry gold-copper systems.
Metallurgy testwork on both the oxide gold-silver and underlying polymetallic base metal mineralisation will continue to be progressed during the next reporting period as part of Robust?s $15 million exploration budget for the current financial year.
The information from this metallurgical testwork, when combined with the maiden JORC resource estimate; will form part of a Scoping Study on the Romang Project which the Company plans to complete by the end of the third quarter FY2012.
Subsequent Events
The following ASX announcements occurred subsequent to the period end but contain assay results from diamond drilling in the September 2011 quarter:
On 11 October 2011, Robust announced results from hole LWD120, which was drilled on the southeastern extremity of the Batu Mas prospect in the Lakuwahi Project, and which intersected high-grade massive to semi-massive sulphide mineralisation over a wide zone. Results include:
? 22m @ 7.74% Cu Equivalent (1.36% Cu, 10.03% Pb, 10.24% Zn, 0.14 g/t Au, 57 g/t Ag) from 126m
? Including l0m @ 10.25% Cu Equivalent (2.36% Cu, 8.65% Pb, 16.76% Zn, 0.16 g/t Au, 61 g/t Ag) from 134m
This is a very encouraging result given that it is the strongest zone of mineralisation intersected so far. The zone is open at depth and to the east. These initial results indicate that the eastern part of Batu Mas is very strongly mineralised in base metals and a number of copper-rich zones have been intersected in the area.
On 19 October 2011, Robust announced results from hole LWD122 on the eastern most margins of the Batu Hitam prospect area, Lakuwahi Project, which demonstrate the potential for high-grade gold at depth and under limestone cover. LWD122 was drilled near the eastern extremity of the Batu Hitam prospect and intersected a high-grade zone of gold mineralisation at over 100 metres below surface, in primary hydrothermal breccias. LWD122 results include:
? 10m @ 5.15 g/t Au Equivalent (4.88 g/t Au, 13 g/t Ag) from 115m
This is the highest-grade zone of deep, primary gold mineralisation intersected in drilling so far and demonstrates the potential of Lakuwahi for deeper, high-grade precious metal mineralisation. The full geological and economic potential must await additional follow-up drilling although there is a working hypothesis that the mineralisation in this hole may correlate with strong gold and silver discovered in LWD108, located on a section 60 metres west of LWDI22. Apart from the potential correlation mentioned above, the result in LWD108 is significant as it conclusively proves high-grade gold and silver mineralisation can develop under limestone cover. LWD 108 intersected mineralisation as follows:
?16m ? 3.10 g/t Au Equivalent (1.42 g/t Au, 81 g/t Ag) from 30m
? Including 5m @ 5.55 g/t Au Equivalent (3.00 g/t Au, 122 g/t Ag) from 31m (end of excerpt)