Sumatra Copper & Gold intersects high grade gold in Bengkulu

ASX-listed exploration firm Sumatra Copper and Gold Plc reported on Monday that a total of 11 holes have been completed during the current program of diamond drilling designed to test the down dip extensions of the higher grade vein systems at Buluh, Bujang and Belinau within the Tembang project in Bengkulu.

Results have now been received for the second Belinau hole, RDD10051, which yielded 20.95 g/t Au, 29.4 g/t Ag over a length of 1.6 metres from 172.8 metres down the hole, the Company said.

Tembang is a large intermediate-sulphidation epithermal deposit comprising gold-silver bearing quartz veins hosted by Tertiary volcanics.

Sumatra Copper and Gold has rights to two IUPs totalling an area of some 850 km? over and around the former Rawas mine that operated between 1997 and 2000.

Whilst results from Buluh and Bujang have been broadly in line with expectations drilling at Belinau has located significant high grade mineralisation with drilling on the first 50 metre step out, it said.

Managing Director, Jocelyn Waller, commented ?intersecting these high grades at Belinau will certainly upgrade Belinau as an ore source for the Tembang project."

"One can possibly envisage an underground mining operation in this area to sweeten the overall tenor of mill feed from open pits. We are continuing to drill in this area to define its size potential. We are also continuing to evaluate various development options,? Waller added.

5 holes have been completed so far with one in progress.

The second hole is collared some 50 metres northeast of the first hole RDD10048, reported previously, that gave an intersection on the main vein of 1.6 metres @ 17.89 g/t Au, 17.0 g/t Ag at a depth of 196.3 metres.

The company said drilling is now concentrating on defining the extents of the high grade zone at Belinau. The hole now in progress is looking to intersect 50 metres further along strike northeast of hole RDD10051.

In addition to the result from Belinau, the company now has the first result from drilling at South Buluh. The intersection of the main vein in hole RDD10050 gave 4.65 metres @ 1.57 g/t Au, 40.2 g/t Ag at a depth of 143.4 metres.

This result indicates that potential still remains at depth within the main vein at South Buluh. (alex)