Nevsun Resources Ltd (C-NSU) - News Release
Nevsun Resources provides Bisha assay results
Nevsun Resources Ltd NSU
Shares issued 62,212,022 Dec 16 2003 close $ 6.20
Wednesday December 17 2003 News Release
Dr. John Clarke reports
NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD.: FURTHER ASSAY RESULTS FROM BISHA PROJECT, ERITREA
Nevsun Resources has provided the assay results from an additional 38 drill holes at its Bisha project located in western Eritrea. These results confirm the existence of high-grade gold and copper in the oxide and supergene zones in the southern extension area of the main Bisha zone. The current drill program also intersected significant additional high-grade zinc zones within the primary massive sulphides.
Some of the high-grade assays include: hole B-82 grading 6.96 grams per tonne (g/t) Au over 18.0 metres, hole B-89 grading 13.62 g/t Au over 18.0 metres, hole B-105 grading 13.21 g/t Au over 13.21 metres, hole B-72 grading 13.10 per cent Cu over 19.3 metres, hole B-74 grading 7.39 per cent Cu over 24.0 metres, hole B-81 grading 7.25 per cent Cu over 28.5 metres and hole B-85 grading 4.84 per cent Cu over 27.0 metres. There are several high-grade zinc intercepts in the primary sulphides such as hole B-40 grading 9.20 per cent Zn over 32.1 metres, hole B-72 grading 9.38 per cent Zn over 27.5 metres, hole B-78 grading 8.70 per cent Zn over 35.2 metres and 8.0 per cent Zn over 22.5 metres, hole B-99 grading 7.78 per cent Zn over 41.1 metres and hole B-102 grading 13.03 per cent Zn over 27.6 metres.
Hole From To Int. Au Ag
No. m m m g/t g/t
Oxide
B-72 34.00 50.7 16.70 1.470 188.41
B-74 19.10 49.0 29.90 4.590 16.15
B-82 19.00 37.0 18.00 6.960 11.92
B-85 31.00 46.0 15.00 2.980 51.00
B-89 10.00 28.0 18.00 13.620 6.06
B-93 16.60 55.0 38.40 4.300 113.46
B-105 17.50 41.0 23.50 13.210 28.02
Supergene
B-72 50.70 70.0 19.30 1.260 121.73
B-74 49.00 73.0 24.00 0.790 67.20
B-81 53.50 82.0 28.50 0.740 57.76
B-84 67.00 84.2 17.20 0.740 22.27
B-85 46.00 73.0 27.00 0.920 37.08
B-88 61.60 71.9 10.30 0.410 17.61
B-92 61.60 71.5 9.90 0.480 21.53
B-93 55.00 64.0 9.00 1.110 319.33
B-95 45.80 47.9 2.10 0.380 34.86
B-96 61.00 97.0 36.00 0.370 17.35
B-108 65.70 128.5 52.80 0.700 23.43
Primary -- Cu rich
B-76 202.00 223.0 21.00 0.720 30.75
B-78 169.00 181.9 12.90 0.670 33.02
B-87 79.00 110.5 31.50 0.003 0.50
B-99 164.50 173.0 8.50 0.580 31.51
B-107 196.00 212.5 16.50 0.500 52.46
Primary -- Zn rich
B-40 112.80 144.9 32.10 0.640 59.66
B-72 82.90 110.4 27.50 0.900 86.33
B-76 80.50 122.8 42.30 0.520 17.79
and 188.50 202.0 13.50 0.850 47.00
B-78 133.80 169.0 35.20 0.880 34.26
and 192.00 214.5 22.50 0.880 43.12
B-99 134.50 147.7 13.20 0.630 49.03
and 211.00 252.0 41.10 0.570 55.97
B-102 150.40 178.0 27.60 0.930 81.05
B-107 226.00 233.5 7.50 0.710 36.80
and 254.50 298.5 44.00 0.690 51.96
and 170.45 214.0 43.55 0.660 34.15
incl 175.00 181.0 6.00 0.450 50.85
Hole From To Int. Cu Pb
No. m m m % %
Oxide
B-72 34.00 50.7 16.70 0.02 0.92
B-74 19.10 49.0 29.90 0.22 0.78
B-82 19.00 37.0 18.00 0.27 1.04
B-85 31.00 46.0 15.00 0.20 0.88
B-89 10.00 28.0 18.00 0.13 0.40
B-93 16.60 55.0 38.40 0.19 1.50
B-105 17.50 41.0 23.50 0.13 0.47
Supergene
B-72 50.70 70.0 19.30 13.10 0.02
B-74 49.00 73.0 24.00 7.39 0.53
B-81 53.50 82.0 28.50 7.25 0.22
B-84 67.00 84.2 17.20 0.86 0.11
B-85 46.00 73.0 27.00 4.84 0.26
B-88 61.60 71.9 10.30 1.18 0.05
B-92 61.60 71.5 9.90 0.46 0.10
B-93 55.00 64.0 9.00 2.29 0.46
B-95 45.80 47.9 2.10 0.69 0.16
B-96 61.00 97.0 36.00 2.24 0.06
B-108 65.70 128.5 52.80 0.49 0.14
Primary -- Cu rich
B-76 202.00 223.0 21.00 1.55 0.01
B-78 169.00 181.9 12.90 1.68 0.01
B-87 79.00 110.5 31.50 1.44 0.00
B-99 164.50 173.0 8.50 1.72 0.01
B-107 196.00 212.5 16.50 2.52 0.00
Primary -- Zn rich
B-40 112.80 144.9 32.10 1.02 0.34
B-72 82.90 110.4 27.50 2.51 0.29
B-76 80.50 122.8 42.30 0.33 0.11
and 188.50 202.0 13.50 1.48 0.13
B-78 133.80 169.0 35.20 0.68 0.12
and 192.00 214.5 22.50 0.79 0.34
B-99 134.50 147.7 13.20 1.32 0.14
and 211.00 252.0 41.10 1.00 0.26
B-102 150.40 178.0 27.60 1.35 0.48
B-107 226.00 233.5 7.50 0.73 0.24
and 254.50 298.5 44.00 0.98 0.16
and 170.45 214.0 43.55 1.01 0.11
incl 175.00 181.0 6.00 0.68 0.53
Hole From To Int. Zn
No. m m m %
Oxide
B-72 34.00 50.7 16.70 0.02
B-74 19.10 49.0 29.90 0.13
B-82 19.00 37.0 18.00 0.09
B-85 31.00 46.0 15.00 0.06
B-89 10.00 28.0 18.00 0.09
B-93 16.60 55.0 38.40 0.13
B-105 17.50 41.0 23.50 0.13
Supergene
B-72 50.70 70.0 19.30 0.17
B-74 49.00 73.0 24.00 0.06
B-81 53.50 82.0 28.50 0.08
B-84 67.00 84.2 17.20 1.84
B-85 46.00 73.0 27.00 0.49
B-88 61.60 71.9 10.30 0.73
B-92 61.60 71.5 9.90 1.48
B-93 55.00 64.0 9.00 0.03
B-95 45.80 47.9 2.10 2.17
B-96 61.00 97.0 36.00 0.10
B-108 65.70 128.5 52.80 1.60
Primary -- Cu rich
B-76 202.00 223.0 21.00 0.39
B-78 169.00 181.9 12.90 0.29
B-87 79.00 110.5 31.50 0.03
B-99 164.50 173.0 8.50 0.78
B-107 196.00 212.5 16.50 0.20
Primary -- Zn rich
B-40 112.80 144.9 32.10 9.20
B-72 82.90 110.4 27.50 9.38
B-76 80.50 122.8 42.30 1.87
and 188.50 202.0 13.50 6.44
B-78 133.80 169.0 35.20 8.70
and 192.00 214.5 22.50 8.00
B-99 134.50 147.7 13.20 4.95
and 211.00 252.0 41.10 7.78
B-102 150.40 178.0 27.60 13.03
B-107 226.00 233.5 7.50 8.14
and 254.50 298.5 44.00 5.48
and 170.45 214.0 43.55 2.81
incl 175.00 181.0 6.00 13.28
Drill hole B-40 was deepened during the current program. Following the original drilling of B-40 it was inferred by drill hole data from subsequent holes that the hole had probably been stopped short of a massive sulphide zone. To test the hypothesis, drill hole B-40 was extended during the current program and did indeed intercept significant copper/zinc primary massive sulphides. The newly intersected primary sulphides are presented above.
Holes B-86, B-94, B-100, B-104 and B-106 intersected mineralization, but with less combined metal content than the holes tabulated above. Exploration hole B-90 targeted an electromagnetic anomaly to the west of the deposit. It did not intersect significant sulphide mineralization. Holes B-91, B-97 and B-98 did not intersect sulphide mineralization either due to not being drilled deep enough or else due to intersecting later event felsic dikes. Exploration hole B-103 was drilled to the east of the main zone and did not intersect mineralization.
Hole B-101 was drilled and subsequently extended to determine if the massive sulphides encountered in holes B-99 and B-107 were still present up-dip from that encountered in the previously mentioned holes. They have now been interpreted to be have been cut off by a later felsic dike. The mineralization identified in hole B-107 indicates that strong base metal mineralization is still present at depths in excess of 200 metres.
The recently completed drill program was designed to infill the previously reported Bisha Main mineralization to a minimum distance between sections of 50 metres apart. This was achieved over a total strike length of 1,150 metres. In addition, one unit of 100-metre strike length has been largely infilled to a minimum of 25-metre drill hole spacing in the region of the main gossan outcrop. A 25-metre drill spacing is considered to be the likely pattern required for reserve definition at the Bisha Main. Reverse circulation drilling had already been selected as the preferred future drill method to complete the 25-metre infill program for the Bisha Main resource/reserve definition work. A multipurpose drill rig is currently being mobilized to site to conduct this reverse circulation drill program. This will release both of the Longyear 44 diamond drill rigs for further exploration drilling at the Bisha project.
The first drill programs at the Bisha Main were focused on outlining a significant gold-bearing oxide resource and copper/gold-bearing supergene sulphides resource for the development of an economic mining operation. Current indications are that the 1,150-metre Bisha Main strike length may already have sufficient resource potential to proceed to a feasibility study on these mineral horizons alone. Nevsun plans to commence an appropriate feasibility study for the oxide and supergene zones during the first quarter of 2004.
The new multipurpose drill rig is being scheduled to collect the representative metallurgical samples that will be required for metallurgical testing of the gold-bearing oxides and the copper supergene massive sulphides of the Bisha Main zones. Metallurgical drilling will use PQ core in order to provide adequate size for mill and crusher abrasion and work index studies as well as to provide bulk samples for gold and copper recovery testwork. Initial metallurgical testwork has indicated that the Bisha Main oxide material may be amenable to traditional CIL processing, and that the supergene copper sulphides may be processed to a copper flotation concentrate.
As the exploration and infill drilling has progressed at the Bisha Main it has become apparent that the primary sulphides below the oxide gold zone and copper supergene zone may also become a significant resource. Preliminary metallurgical testing of representative copper-rich and zinc-rich sulphide intersections within the primary massive sulphides zones will commence early 2004.
In addition to the Bisha Main drilling outlined above, holes B-77, B-79, B-80 and B-83 were drilled into the Northwest zone. They did not intersect significant sulphide mineralization. A series of later felsic dikes appear to have intruded the sulphide mineralization much the same as occurs at the south end of the Bisha Main zone.
A recent detailed study of the geological and geophysical data available to date suggests that it is possible that the NW zone and the Bisha Main zone are one in the same body but offset 1.6 kilometres by a northwest trending fault. The NW zone appears to be relatively flat lying. Recent interpretations indicate that the sulphides are likely quite highly leached accounting for the low silver, lead and zinc values. Additional drilling is required in the NW zone to more fully define the vertical and horizontal extent of the recognized sulphide mineralization.
Bill Nielsen, vice-president of exploration for Nevsun, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, supervised and directed all work associated with the drilling program.
Nevsun implemented a quality assurance/quality control program, consisting of certified standards, for the drill program. The analytical methods used for gold and silver are fire assay with atomic absorption or gravimetric finish. Induced coupled plasma (ICP) is used for silver trace level values. The analytical methods used for the base metals are aqua-regia digestion and atomic absorption finish or ICP for trace level values. Sample preparation and analysis were conducted at ALS Chemex of Vancouver, Canada.
WARNING: The company relies upon litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements.
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