Falcon(TM) airborne exploration survey begins on 28,000 square kilometres in Mongolia's South Gobi region
28 Setembro 2005 - 11:06AM
PR Newswire (US)
Oyu Tolgoi's Hugo Far North copper and gold deposit extended an
additional 175 metres to the north ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, Sept. 28
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ivanhoe Mines' Deputy Chairman Edward
Flood announced today that BHP Billiton, the world's largest
diversified mining company, has commenced its Falcon(TM) airborne
gravity gradiometer survey to explore the Falcon Gobi Project, an
exploration joint-venture covering approximately 28,000 square
kilometres of Ivanhoe's non-core exploration ground in southern
Mongolia. BHP Billiton's Falcon gravity gradiometer survey is a
proprietary airborne system that can cover large, remote areas
rapidly and cost effectively. It provides a new dimension in
exploration for copper and gold deposits in Mongolia with its
ability to "see through" the surface cover to identify gravity
anomalies, which then can be explored in detail with ground
geophysics, sampling and drilling. The airborne survey of the
Ivanhoe ground is expected to take approximately three months.
Ivanhoe and BHP Billiton entered into the Falcon Gobi Project in
May, 2005. The project covers approximately 22% of Ivanhoe's land
holdings in this region. Ivanhoe's advanced exploration and
development-stage projects - Oyu Tolgoi, Kharmagtai, Nariin Sukhait
and Bronze Fox - are not included in the Falcon Gobi Project. Under
the terms of the agreement, BHP Billiton has the right to earn up
to 50% of all minerals found on the project, other than coal, by
spending US$8 million in exploration costs. BHP Billiton will use
its proprietary Falcon system and solely fund a major geophysical
survey of a minimum of 30,000 line kilometres over the whole or
selected parts of the Falcon Gobi Project. BHP Billiton will fund
all aspects of the survey, inclusive of mobilization, as well as
processing and interpretation, using the most advanced and
proprietary techniques. Following BHP Billiton's vesting in the
project, a 50/50 joint venture will be established between BHP
Billiton and Ivanhoe, and the parties will contribute all further
exploration and development costs on a pro-rata basis. Oyu Tolgoi
Drilling Update: Hugo Far North copper and gold mineralization
extended an additional 150 metres to the north
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Mr. Flood also announced that Ivanhoe has intersected approximately
42 metres of high-grade copper and gold mineralization in hole
EGC053, approximately 175 metres north-northeast from the previous
northern-most intersection in hole, EGD008. Hole EGC053, at a
down-hole depth of 1340 metres, intersected 42 metres of 2.07 g/t
gold and 2.62% copper (3.96% copper equivalent, based on US$0.80
copper and US$350 gold) at the top of the deposit. Drilling
down-dip of hole EGD053 also is underway as a step-out hole 150
metres to the north. The open-ended Hugo Far North Deposit has now
been extended to at least 600 metres north of the Ivanhoe/Entree
joint venture property boundary into the Shivee Tolgoi property and
brings the total length of the high-grade deposit to over 2.5
kilometres. Step-out and infill drilling is ongoing with four
deep-hole-capacity drilling rigs. In addition, in-fill Hole OTD1218
intersected 46 metres of 0.16 g/t gold and 1.34% copper (1.45%
copper equivalent) starting at 1182 metres, followed by 114 metres
of 2.64 g/t gold and 4.33% copper (6.04% copper equivalent). OTD
1218 is located approximately 90 metres northeast along strike of
hole EGD006A and is approximately 150 metres northeast along strike
from the joint-venture boundary. The intersection also is 60 metres
southwest of the previously announced intersection in hole EGD016C,
which encountered 193.1 metres of 1.08 g/t gold and 3.06% copper
(3.76% copper equivalent) at a down-hole depth of 1324 metres and
hole EGD016E, which intersected 44 metres of 0.93 g/t and 3.30%
copper (3.91% copper equivalent), approximately 250 metres
vertically up-dip of hole EGD0016C. The Shivee Tolgoi property is
owned by Entree Gold Inc. and is subject to Ivanhoe having the
right to earn up to 80% of resources discovered on the property.
Final Assays for Holes EGD053 and OTD1218
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Interval CuEq Drill Hole No. From (m) To (m) (m) Au (g/t) Cu (%)
(%)
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OTD1218 1048 1136 88 0.01 0.07 0.07
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1136 1156 20 ns: dyke
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1156 1182 26 0.03 0.43 0.46
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1182 1228 46 0.16 1.34 1.45
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1228 1342 114 2.64 4.33 6.04
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1342 1374 32 0.14 0.58 0.67
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EGD053 1256 1312 56 0.01 0.05 0.06
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1312 1326 14 0.02 0.30 0.31
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1326 1396 70 1.26 1.79 2.61
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including 1326 1340 14 0.02 0.56 0.58
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including 1340 1382 42 2.07 2.62 3.96
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including 1382 1396 14 0.10 0.53 0.60
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1396 1418.3 22.3 dyke
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1418.3 1496 77.7 0.30 0.96 1.15
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1496 1500 4 0.15 0.19 0.28
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1500 1506.2 6.2 BAT
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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 copper and gold project and
owns or controls exploration rights covering approximately 134,000
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 / 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, 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,
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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