Kev, i know we probably have a few folks cussin at us, but they'll
forget at the crawfish boil when i feed them till their little hearts content..
Monday April 6, 3:11 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Bema Gold Corporation
Bema Gold Corporation Announces Refugio Mine Chile Drilling Below Verde Deposit Returns Good Assay Results
VANCOUVER, April 6 /CNW-PRN/ - Bema Gold Corporation (''the Company'') is pleased to announce encouraging assay results from diamond drilling beneath the Verde Deposit at the 50% owned Refugio Mine in Northern Chile.
The results from the first nine holes (summarized below) of the sixteen hole program indicate that well mineralized material, similar to the gold grades of the Verde Deposit, extend 250 metres below the planned pit floor, confirming the potential to significantly increase reserves.
The Verde Deposit extended base case pit as defined by Mineral Resource Developments, Inc. (''MRDI'') in the Verde Feasibility Study contained a mineable reserve of 185 million tonnes grading 0.90 grams per tonne gold, containing 5.3 million ounces of gold. At surface, the dimensions of the deposit are 1.4 kilometres long by 0.7 kilometres wide. It is up to 280 metres deep in East Verde and 300 metres deep in West Verde. The Verde Deposit is currently being mined at the rate of 30,000 tonnes per day and approximately 500,000 ounces of the reserve have been mined to date.
All drilling is being done with HQ and NQ core.
Hole Location From To Length Gold Depth below extended
Number (meters)(meters) (gpt) base case(meters)
VD-1 East Verde 0 108 108 0.78 in pit
108 232 124 0.60 55
VD-2 East Verde 0 382 382 0.97 220
VD-3 East Verde 18 404 386 1.06 220
VD-4 East Verde 68 300 232 0.71 170
VD-5 East Verde 0 28 28 0.75 South of pit
28 72 44 1.12 South of pit
120 250 130 0.64 80
250 438 188 0.87 250
VD-6 West Verde 0 36 36 0.62 in pit
36 228 192 1.79 in pit
VD-7 West Verde 0 442 442 0.94 160
includes 132 364 232 1.21 80
VD-8 West Verde 0 18 18 0.68 in pit
26 368 342 1.05 80
400 460 60 0.7 160
VD-9 East Verde 0 410 410 1.08 200
includes 296 410 114 1.75 200
In addition to testing the potential for additional reserves at depth, the current program will provide material for further metallurgical test work and bring some possible reserves in the extended base case pit (21% of the total reserve) into the proven and probable categories.
Results from the remaining 7 holes are expected by the end of May.
Bema Gold Corporation produces gold in Chile, and, through its affiliates, explores for gold in Argentina, Canada, Chile, the United States and Venezuela.
On behalf of BEMA GOLD CORPORATION
Clive T. Johnson
C.E.O., Chairman & President |
