Sunridge Provides Update on the Asmara Project, Eritrea
Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Sunridge Gold Corp. (the “Company” or “Sunridge”) (SGC: TSX.V/SGCNF: OTCQX) is pleased to provide an update on current field work and other activities on the Asmara copper/zinc/gold/silver project in Eritrea. The Asmara Project is held by the Asmara Mining Share Company (“AMSC”) a joint-venture company of which Sunridge owns 60% and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (“ENAMCO”) owns 40%. The Asmara Project comprises six defined deposits, four of which are the subject of a feasibility study completed in May 2013 and are currently in the permitting process.
Mining License Update
As part of the process of issuing the Asmara Project mining license the Ministry of Energy and Mines (“MEM”) was obligated to complete an independent engineering due diligence review of both the Asmara Project Feasibility Study and the Company’s Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (“SEIA”) submitted for review in January 2015. This MEM review is now complete and the results have been provided to AMSC and Sunridge. Sunridge management is very pleased with the positive findings and recommendations. Sunridge is confident the mining license will now follow in due course, within the first half of 2015, which will allow AMSC to stay on track for its development schedule for the Direct Shipping Ore first phase of development of the Asmara Project.
Exploration Update
While most of the Company’s focus and efforts have been on permitting the four projects in the Feasibility Study and moving them towards production, limited low-cost exploration work has also continued on the Asmara Project. The recent exploration work was focused on the two “pipeline” deposits on the Asmara Project; the Kodadu volcanogenic-massive-sulphide (“VMS”) deposit and the Adi Rassi copper-gold deposit. Both deposits have Inferred mineral resources and are open for expansion. Details of the current resources can be seen at the end of this news release. The work recent has focused on defining new areas of mineralization to direct future expansion drilling.
“Although much of management’s recent attention has been on the permitting process for the development of the Asmara Project, it is important to remember that significant exploration potential remains on the project” states Michael Hopley, Sunridge President and CEO. “The area has clearly shown to be a proficient VMS district and we fully expect to see the expansion of known mineralized areas and the discovery of new deposits in the future”.
Kodadu
A total of 14 east – west oriented channels were cut with a portable diamond saw totaling 318.48 meters across the Kodadu VMS gold oxide zone structures to define future drill targets. These structures has now been defined over a total strike length of 1,350 meters (see map). The more significant intervals from the sampling of these channels are listed below:
New Channel Sampling Results – Kodadu Project
Channel ID | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Au (g/t) | Channel Length (m) |
Kodadu #24 | 19.95 | 27.25 | 7.30 | 1.07 | 27.25 |
Kodadu #25 | 14.28 | 20.68 | 7.40 | 1.35 | 24.68 |
and | 2.00 | 5.28 | 3.28 | 0.88 | |
Kodadu #26 | 8.50 | 15.70 | 7.20 | 0.78 | 17.70 |
Kodadu #28 | 23.60 | 32.00 | 8.40 | 1.20 | 33.80 |
Kodadu #29 | 3.50 | 8.30 | 4.80 | 1.93 | 12.30 |
Kodadu #32 | 19.70 | 24.90 | 5.20 | 0.58 | 24.90 |
Kodadu #34 | 4.00 | 11.50 | 7.50 | 3.23 | 18.70 |
Kodadu #35 | 4.00 | 7.00 | 3.00 | 1.13 | 32.75 |
and | 15.25 | 24.60 | 9.35 | 1.52 | |
Kodadu #36 | 5.50 | 11.70 | 6.20 | 0.44 | 25.60 |
and | 18.75 | 21.90 | 3.15 | 1.43 | |
Kodadu #37 | 4.00 | 8.00 | 4.00 | 1.04 | 10.40 |
- Channel # 27, 30, 31, 33 - no significant values
A total of 10 lines of AMT (Audio-Magneto-Telluric) geophysical survey were also completed across the Kodadu VMS system, to define the massive sulfide conductors occurring beneath the oxide gold zone gossans which represent potential drill targets. The AMT data is in final processing.
Adi Rassi
In order to increase the size of the defined mineralization at Adi Rassi the recent focus has been on the South Hill area where copper mineralization can be seen at surface but is not included in the current resource estimate. A total of four east-west oriented trenches totaling 367 meters were dug to bed-rock with a back-hoe and rock samples taken from the trenches by hand to define future drill targets. Below are the assay results from these four trenches:
New Trench Sampling Results – Adi Rassi Project
Trench ID | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Au (g/t) | Cu (%) | Trench Length (m) |
Adi Rassi #5 | 0 | 98.00 | 98.00 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 112.00 |
Adi Rassi #6 and | 0 59.2 | 27.70 117.10 | 27.70 57.90 | - 0.15 | 0.62 0.62 | 127.50 |
Adi Rassi #7 and | 0 59.7 | 25.10 100.60 | 25.10 40.90 | - 0.22 | 0.52 0.52 | 100.60 |
Adi Rassi #8 | 0 | 28.00 | 28.70 | - | 0.37 | 28.70 |
This trenching program has now defined the copper and precious metal mineralization at Adi Rassi South Hill over a strike length of over 150 meters with an average width of 70 meters (see map).
Notes:
1. All Kodadu assays reported are from channel samples that were cut into bedrock by a hand-held diamond circular saw. The channels were about 5 centimeters in width and approximately 2 centimeters in depth. All samples from Adi Rassi were taken by hand from bedrock at the bottom of the four new trenches.
2. A Quality Assurance/Quality Control program was part of the sampling program on the Kodadu and Adi Rassi projects. This program includes chain of custody protocols as well as systematic submittals of standards, duplicates and blank samples into the flow of samples produced by the sampling.
3. Samples were prepared at African Horn Testing Services (Eritrea) and analyzed at Genalysis Laboratories (a NATA registered laboratory) in Perth, Western Australia.
4. True widths of the intervals reported for both Kodadu and Adi Rassi are estimated to be approximately 90% of the reported intervals.
5. The results of the Kodadu and Adi Rassi sampling programs have been reviewed by Michael J. Hopley, the Qualified Person for Sunridge. Mr. Hopley is also the person responsible for preparation of the technical information contained in this news release and is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunridge.
About Sunridge:
Sunridge is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the acquisition, exploration, discovery and development of base and precious metal projects on the Asmara Project in Eritrea. Sunridge currently has approximately 210 million shares outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SGC. For additional information on the Company and its projects please view the slide show on our website at www.sunridgegold.com or call Greg Davis at the number listed below.
“Michael Hopley” | For further information contact: |
Michael Hopley, President and Chief Executive Officer | Greg Davis, VP Business Development |