Drilling intersects 546 metres of 4.05% copper equivalent on Hugo Far North discovery in Mongolia's South Gobi
28 June 2005 - 11:30PM
PR Newswire (US)
Drilling intersects 546 metres of 4.05% copper equivalent on Hugo
Far North discovery in Mongolia's South Gobi Infill drilling
confirms continuity of 500-metre extension of the open-ended Hugo
Far North discovery ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, June 28
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ivanhoe Mines' Executive Vice-President,
Exploration, Doug Kirwin announced today that hole EGD006A
intersected 608 metres grading 3.24% copper and 0.82 grams per
tonne (g/t) gold (a copper equivalent grade of 3.77%), including
546 metres of 3.46% copper and 0.90 g/t gold (a copper equivalent
grade of 4.05%). The hole also included an intersection of 322
metres grading 4.59% copper and 1.07 g/t gold (a copper equivalent
grade of 5.29%). EGD006A is a navi-drill daughter hole drilled
down-dip from hole EGD006, which was collared five metres north of
the Ivanhoe-Entree Gold joint-venture boundary. In addition, Hole
EGD008, collared approximately 450 metres northeast of, and
parallel to, holes EGD006 and EGD006A, intersected 324 metres
grading 2.45% copper and 1.23 g/t gold (a copper equivalent grade
of 3.25%). Ivanhoe currently is drilling EGD019 to test the
potential for higher-grade copper and gold mineralization up-dip
from hole EGD008. As reported on May 13, EGD006 intersected 216
metres grading 2.95% copper and 1.35 g/t gold (copper equivalent
grade of 3.83%), starting at a depth of 1008 metres, including 110
metres grading 4.58% copper and 2.02 g/t gold (copper equivalent
grade of 5.89%). Hole From To Interval Gold Copper Copper Eq Number
(m) (m) (m) (g/t) (%) (%)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGD006A 1084 1692 608 0.82 3.24 3.77 including 1084 1146 62 0.11
1.22 1.29 1146 1468 322 1.07 4.59 5.29 1468 1648 180 0.53 1.95 2.29
1648 1692 44 1.18 1.42 2.18 greater than 2% Cu Eq 1146 1692 546
0.90 3.46 4.05 EGD008 1286 1388 102 0.02 0.60 0.61 1388 1712 324
1.23 2.45 3.25 (x) All copper equivalent grades used in this news
release have been calculated using copper prices of 90 cents (US)
per pound and gold prices of US$400 per ounce. The copper and gold
mineralization intersected in holes EGD006, EGD006A and EGD008 has
been discovered since the database was closed in April for the
recent independent resource estimate for Oyu Tolgoi prepared by
AMEC Americas (see Ivanhoe's news release dated May 3, 2005), with
the result that the resource block model for Hugo North extended
only to the Ivanhoe-Entree Gold joint-venture property boundary.
EGD008 has extended the strike length of the Hugo North copper-gold
discovery to greater than 2.2 kilometres. Hugo North is part of the
3.5-plus-kilometre-long Hugo Dummett Deposit, which in turn is part
of the 6.5-kilometre-long chain of copper and gold deposits
delineated to date by Ivanhoe at Oyu Tolgoi. Hole EGD016C, collared
mid-way between holes EGD006 and EGD008 on the Ivanhoe-Entree Gold
joint-venture property, has encountered visible copper
mineralization, mainly chalcopyrite, hosted in augite basalt at a
down-hole depth of 1,078 metres (1,070 metres below surface). The
copper mineralization continued through to a down-hole depth of
1,326 metres (1,310 metres below surface), where the hole
encountered strong copper mineralization consisting primarily of
bornite hosted in quartz-rich quartz monzodiorite (QMD). The hole
is being drilled to confirm the continuity of the high-grade copper
and gold mineralization in the 450-metre interval between holes
EGD006 and EGD008, and to substantiate the apparent northeasterly
strike direction of the mineralization. The bornite-rich QMD is
visually similar to the 324 metres of bornite-rich QMD intersected
in EGD008 at a down-hole depth of 1,387 metres (1,370 metres below
surface) that grades 2.45% copper and 1.23 g/t gold (a copper
equivalent grade of 3.25%). At the end of June 28, Mongolia time,
EGD016C was at a down-hole depth of 1444 metres in visually very
strong copper mineralization hosted in the QMD. OTD976C, a navi
hole aligned on a northwest azimuth between the OTD976 series of
holes and the EGD006 series of holes, is being drilled to establish
the continuity of the mineralization for future expansion of the
project's Indicated Resources. OTD976, 976A and 976B are the
northern-most holes used in the May, 2005, AMEC resource estimate.
OTD976C has intersected visibly strong copper mineralization at a
down-hole depth of 1,135 metres (approximately 1,030 metres below
surface) in basaltic rocks that typically overly the
copper-gold-rich quartz monzodiorite host rocks. The in-fill drill
holes described above that now are in progress appear to be
defining a continuous zone of high-grade mineralization that has
changed strike direction from the northerly trend followed by the
Hugo North deposit to a northeasterly trend now being followed by
the Hugo Far North Extension. Additional drill holes up-dip and
down-dip of these infill holes will be required to finalize the
geometry of the deposit for future resource updates and the impact
of possible off-setting cross-faults. Ivanhoe has nine
deep-hole-capacity rigs drilling on the Oyu Tolgoi Project and the
Ivanhoe-Entree Gold joint-venture property. One is drilling a
deep-delineation hole on the Hugo North Deposit 150 metres south of
the joint-venture property boundary; a second is drilling a
geotechnical hole near the location of the proposed Hugo North
production shafts; the remaining seven rigs are drilling to test
for the northeasterly extension of the Hugo North Deposit on the
joint-venture property. Ivanhoe has the right to earn a
participating interest of 80% in all minerals extracted below a
sub-surface depth of 560 metres on the Ivanhoe- Entree Gold
joint-venture property and a 70% interest in all minerals extracted
from surface to a depth of 560 metres by spending US$35 million on
exploration and/or development of the property over eight years.
Ivanhoe currently owns 9.2 million Entree common shares. Ivanhoe
plans on exercising its rights, under its Equity Participation and
Earn-in Agreement with Entree, to acquire an additional 1,235,489
units, at a price of $2.20 each. Each unit consists of one common
share and two common share purchase warrants. Upon completion of
the acquisition of the new units, Ivanhoe will own approximately
16.4% of Entree issued and outstanding shares. Charles Forster,
P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, supervised the
preparation of the information in this release. SGS Mongolia LLC
prepares the split core at the site and assays all samples at its
facility in Ulaanbaatar. Dr. Barry Smee, Ph.D., P.Geo., an
independent geochemist and quality control expert monitors, audits
Ivanhoe's QA/QC program and the independent SGS Mongolia LLC
laboratory facility on site and in Ulaanbaatar. Dale A. Sketchley,
M.Sc., P.Geo., is Ivanhoe's on-site QA/QC manager responsible for
the assaying and sampling programs at the Oyu Tolgoi project. In
accordance with Canadian NI 43-101, reference samples prepared from
matrix matched resource material, field blanks and sample
duplicates are randomly and routinely inserted by Ivanhoe's
personnel at the sample preparation facility on site. Duplicate
samples are routinely collected and sent to an international
laboratory in Australia for check assaying. Ivanhoe has a 100%
interest in the Oyu Tolgoi gold and copper project in Mongolia and
owns or controls exploration rights covering approximately 128,000
square kilometres in central and southern Mongolia, where
additional copper, gold and coal discoveries have been made.
Ivanhoe produces LME grade A copper from its Monywa joint venture
in Myanmar. Ivanhoe shares are listed on the Toronto and New York
stock exchanges under the symbol IVN. Information contacts:
--------------------- Investors: Bill Trenaman: +1.604.688.5755 /
Media: Bob Williamson: +1.604.688.5755 Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements are
subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific
factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in
the corporation's periodic filings with Canadian and US securities
regulators. When used in this document, the words such as "could,"
"plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "potential,"
"should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.
The risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from
these forward-looking statements include, but are not restricted
to, geological or mechanical difficulties affecting the company's
planned drilling, operational risk, environmental risk, financial
risk, geo-political risk, commodity risk, currency risk and other
statements that are not historical facts as disclosed under the
heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the corporation's periodic
filings with securities regulators in Canada and the United States.
DATASOURCE: Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. CONTACT: Investors: Bill Trenaman:
(604) 688-5755; Media: Bob Williamson: (604) 688-5755; To request a
free copy of this organization's annual report, please go to
http://www.newswire.ca/ and click on reports@cnw.
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