Trenching Confirms Emerging Gold Discovery at Soro,
Bima Project, East Sumbawa
Arc Exploration Limited (ASX Code: ARX) is pleased to announce that trenching results obtained at the Soro Prospect support an emerging gold discovery and have confirmed a new type of gold target at Bima.
- Broad zones of gold-silver mineralisation intersected in silicified limestone
- Potential for bulk-tonnage replacement-style gold-silver deposits
Recent trenching has tested part of a large gold soil anomaly measuring over 1,000m by 500m. Results of 38m at 1.41 g/t gold & 41 g/t silver and 11m at 1.22 g/t gold, 14 g/t silver & 25.8% barium, occur in two trenches located 300m apart. Gold is hosted in silicified limestone and is also associated with elevated arsenic, antimony and mercury.
Managing Director Mr. John Carlile commented:
"These first trench gold intersections at Soro occur over significant lengths and are widely separated. The results indicate potential for a significant bulk tonnage gold deposit and while it is early days we may have an emerging gold discovery of a different style to that at Baku and Kowo.
The geology of Soro, together with its geochemical association, suggests it is an example of replacement-style gold mineralisation in limestone in an island-arc setting.
In this style of deposit, gold grades in the order of 1 - 3 g/t gold at surface are highly significant as bulk tonnage targets and there is also potential for higher grade feeder structures. A well-known example of a replacement-style gold deposit in the region is Mesel located in North Sulawesi, which produced over 2 million gold ounces from a bulk tonnage deposit for Newmont.
Soro is particularly promising as it opens up the possibility of a different type of gold mineralisation with bulk tonnage potential across a sizeable area. Our results show the gold-soil anomaly is large and at this stage has only been partly tested by trenching. We will be undertaking more work at Soro to better define the extent and nature of the prospect."
Download this document