Freegold Readies for Summer Drilling at Vinasale and Secures $1.8 million in Equipment Financing
21 May 2008 - 12:44AM
PR Newswire (US)
VANCOUVER, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Freegold Ventures
Limited (TSX: ITF, OTCBB: FGOVF, Frankfurt: FR4) is pleased to
announce that field activities on the Vinasale gold project,
located 16 miles south of McGrath in central Alaska, will commence
in early July. The 2008 program will include ground based
geophysics and core drilling aimed at expanding the known limits of
the Vinasale deposit. Freegold's 2007 exploration program was
focused on identifying additional targets in the vicinity of the
Vinasale deposit, as previous operators completed only limited
systematic work on the surrounding lands. Freegold's program
included stream and soil sampling on relatively unexplored parts of
the property, followed by an airborne geophysical program which
covered the entire property in order to delineate additional areas
for subsequent follow-up. Freegold's 2008 program will focus on the
Vinasale deposit, where previous operators drilled 36 holes from
1990 to 1994 on approximately 200-foot spacing within the Central
Zone. These holes were used to generate a non-43-101 compliant
historical resource of 920,000 ounces of gold (18.04 million tons
grading 0.051 oz/ton). (Note that these resource figures are
historical in nature and are provided for information purposes
only. They are not 43-101 compliant, and as such, should not be
relied upon). Freegold's summer program will include additional
sampling, ground geophysics and drilling aimed at confirming and
expanding the known gold mineralization within the property.
Following the completion of ground-based geophysics in the deposit
area in July, a 2,000 foot drill program will be undertaken in
order to provide Freegold with a better understanding of the
structural controls of the deposit and to expand the area known to
contain gold mineralization. Following the completion of this
season's drilling program, a new 43-101 compliant resource is
expected to be completed. Freegold holds a Mining Exploration
Agreement with Option to Lease with Doyon Limited, an Alaskan
Native Regional Corporation, on Doyon's 100% interest in the
Vinasale Gold Property. Further information on the terms of this
agreement can be found in the news release dated March 2, 2007. The
Vinasale gold deposit occurs in the same northeast trending belt of
igneous intrusion-related deposits that include the 33 million
ounce Donlin Creek gold deposit and the Nixon Fork gold mine.
Convertible Secured Loan Facility Freegold is also pleased to
announce that it has reached agreement to raise US $1,791,000 in a
convertible loan facility that will be secured against its bulk
sampling related equipment at Golden Summit and against private
property that was recently purchased in January adjacent to the
Golden Summit property. The loan has a term of 2 years, with the
Lenders having the right to accelerate the maturity of the facility
any time after the first anniversary of the closing, should
Freegold raise additional debt, equity or receive asset sales
aggregating $3 million or more. The Lenders also have the right
during the term to convert the outstanding principal, in whole or
in part, into Freegold common shares at a conversion price of US
$1.23/share. The interest rate for the loan is 4% per annum,
payable quarterly. No fees were paid in relation to the closing or
arrangement of this facility. The foregoing is subject to
finalization of definitive documentation and regulatory approval.
About Freegold Ventures Limited Freegold Ventures Limited is a
North American exploration and development company with a
management team experienced in mine development and production, and
that has a proven track-record in transitioning exploration
companies into gold producers. The Company is currently exploring
advanced-stage gold projects in Idaho and Alaska. Freegold holds a
100% lease interest in the Almaden gold project in Idaho. This
large tonnage epithermal gold deposit was the subject of a
feasibility study in 1997 calling for the development of a 95,000
oz/year open pit, heap leach mine. Freegold has recently finalized
a 54,700-foot drilling program which has successful identified
numerous extensions to the gold mineralization, along with newly
identified open-ended areas of molybdenum mineralization. The
Company is in the process of generating a new 43-101 resource which
will be followed with the commencement of new economic evaluations.
Freegold's 40,100-foot drill program in 2007 continued to discovery
new high-grade veins and bulk tonnage shear zones on its 93%
controlled Golden Summit project outside Fairbanks, Alaska. Over 7
million ounces of gold has historically been recovered from Golden
Summit which is situated less than 5 miles to the north of the +7
million ounce Fort Knox Mine. Further evaluation and expansion of
the mineralization is currently being undertaken with a combination
of closely spaced shallow drilling, deeper, systematic core
drilling and on-going bulk sampling program, which includes
seasonal processing of gold mineralization using an on-site
gravity-based concentration plant. Drilling in 2008 will also be
conducted on the company's 100% controlled Rob property, where the
Company has intersected high-grade gold in near surface quartz
veins similar in appearance and grade to those being mined at the
nearby 5.6 million ounce Pogo, and on the Vinasale property, where
the Company has entered into an exploration agreement with option
to lease on a 140,000 acre property in Alaska which contains the
previously identified Vinasale gold deposit. The Qualified Person,
Michael P. Gross, M.S., P. Geo., VP Exploration, Freegold Ventures
Limited has reviewed and approved the contents of this release. On
behalf of the Board of Directors "Steve Manz" Steve Manz, President
and C.E.O. DISCLAIMER - This news release contains certain
"Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of
the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, included
herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks
and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements
will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the
Company's documents filed from time to time with the Toronto Stock
Exchange, British Columbia Securities Commission and the United
States Securities & Exchange Commission. The TSX has neither
approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. CUSIP:
45953B107 CONTACT: Mark Feeney - Investor Relations, (604)
786-2587, DATASOURCE: Freegold Ventures Limited CONTACT: Mark
Feeney - Investor Relations, (604) 786-2587,
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