Intrepid Mines Limited Oxide Project Update
Tujuh Bukit IndonesiaNI 43-101 / JORC Compliant Technical Report Filed
Additional deep drilling underway testing targets south of the Main Tumpangpitu porphyry
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/02/11 -- Intrepid Mines Limited (TSX: IAU)(ASX: IAU) (the 'Company') announces that the technical report entitled 'Tujuh Bukit Project Report on Mineral Resources' dated January 2011, has been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) as well as with the ASX (www.asx.com) (see the Company's news release of 14 December 2010 for a summary of the oxide resource update).
The report was prepared by independent consultants Hellman and Schofield Pty. Ltd. in accordance with the JORC Code and Canadian NI 43-101. It details an updated Inferred Resource estimate of 130 million tonnes at 0.55 g/t gold and 18 g/t silver above a 0.2 g/t gold cut-off, for 2.4 million ounces of contained gold and 80 million ounces of contained silver within the combined oxide zones of the Tumpangpitu area of the Tujuh Bukit Project in Indonesia.
The updated oxide resource estimate follows on the Company's announcement of the initial Inferred Resource of 500 million tonnes at 0.4% copper and 0.5 g/t gold, at a cut-off grade of 0.2% copper, for the known porphyry copper-gold zone within the Tumpangpitu area of the Tujuh Bukit Project (see the Company's news release of 30 September 2010).
Exploration Drill program
The Company currently has 6 diamond drills testing the Tumpangpitu area, five of which are located south of the main porphyry zone. Two of these drills - all of which have a depth capacity of 1,200 metres - are located between 100 and 450 metres south of the area used for the latest porphyry inferred resource estimate. The other two drills are set approximately 160 metres to the north and south of GTD 10-137, located 1.2 kilometres south of the main porphyry resource area, which intercepted porphyry mineralisation including 85.85 m at 1.11 g/t gold and 0.54% copper. It has not yet been determined whether this represents an extension of the already large main porphyry zone or if it is a separate porphyry zone.
Assay results for this latest drilling are expected in approximately one month.
Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements, relating to, but not limited to Intrepid's expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs. Forward-looking information can often be identified by forward-looking words such as 'anticipate', 'believe', 'expect', 'goal', 'plan', 'intend', 'estimate', 'may' and 'will' or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future outcomes, or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information may include reserve and resource estimates, estimates of future production, unit costs, costs of capital projects, and timing of commencement of operations and is based on current expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to, failure to establish estimated resources and reserves, the grade and recovery of ore which is mined varying from estimates, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects and other factors. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied.
Shareholders and potential investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. By its nature, forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and various future events will not occur. Intrepid undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law.
Statements relating to gold resource estimates are expressions of judgment, based on knowledge and experience and may require revision based on actual production experience. Such estimates are necessarily imprecise and depend to some extent on statistical inferences and other assumptions, such as gold prices, cut-off grades and operating costs, which may prove to be inaccurate.
Forestry Activities
The Indonesian Forestry Law restricts non forestry activities within protected forests and prohibits mining using an open pit method in protected forest areas. The area of the Porphyry copper-gold resource estimate, and the oxide resource estimate areas fall within a protected forest area. Intrepid's Alliance partner, PT IMN, is working with relevant Indonesian authorities regarding a potential review of forest land status. There is no assurance that the forestry reclassification will take place in this instance.
Qualified Person
The information in this announcement that relates to mineral resources is based on information compiled by or under the supervision of Dr. Phillip Hellman, who is an independent consultant to Intrepid Mines Limited, a Director of Hellman and Schofield Pty Ltd and a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Dr Hellman has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves' and an Independent Qualified Person as defined in the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Dr Hellman consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
The information in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by or under the supervision of Malcolm Norris, who is a full-time employee of Intrepid Mines Limited. Mr. Norris has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves' and a Qualified Person as defined in the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Mr. Norris consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
Sample Analysis
Intrepid exercises a strict chain of sample custody in its drilling program at Tujuh Bukit. Joint Venture personnel remove core from the drill rig and deliver it to a project geologist who logs the core and marks the core into two metre sample intervals. Intrepid and Joint Venture personnel supervise the immediate splitting, sawing and bagging of samples, and packaging of groups of samples for dispatch to the laboratory. The remainder of the split core remains on site.
Samples are securely packaged, batched, and then transported under supervision to Intertek's laboratory facility in Jakarta. At the laboratory, the samples are prepared by crushing and pulverizing and a 30 gram charge is assayed for gold by conventional fire assay and/or atomic absorption methods. Multi-element ICP analysis is carried out using a multi-acid digestion process. All samples that contain silver and/or copper, lead, and zinc values that exceed the upper detection limits for ICP are re-analysed by conventional atomic absorption methods to determine the absolute values of these metals.
ABN: 11 060 156 452
Contacts:
Intrepid Mines Limited
Brad Gordon
Chief Executive Officer, Brisbane, Australia
+61 7 3007 8011
bgordon@intrepidmines.com
Intrepid Mines Limited
Greg Taylor
Toronto, Canada
+905 337 7673 or Mobile: +416 605 5120
gtaylor@intrepidmines.com
www.intrepidmines.com