VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--Arizona Star Resource Corp. 51
percent ("Arizona Star") and Bema Gold Corporation 49 percent
("Bema Gold") are pleased to announce an update on the Cerro
Casale drill program and additional deep drill results from the
Cerro Casale Deposit at the Aldebaran Property, Chile. These
results continue to confirm the dimensions, grade and continuity
of the main sulphide porphyry zone underlying the Cerro Casale
oxide deposit, and indicate the zone remains open in several
directions.
Of the seven holes most recently drilled, four holes (34 - 37)
intersected the main porphyry zone and three holes (31 - 33) were
drilled at the edges or outside the main porphyry zone (see plan
map).
These drill results combined with results from 10 earlier deep
holes confirm a high degree of consistency of gold and copper
grades both horizontally and vertically within the Cerro Casale
main zone. The average grade OF THE RECENT PROGRAM'S 14 DRILL
HOLES in the main porphyry zone (including lower grade edge holes)
is 1.24 GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .40 PERCENT COPPER. Excluding
the two higher grade breccia holes, THE AVERAGE GRADE IS .92 GRAMS
PER TONNE GOLD AND .35 PERCENT COPPER.
A summary of the new results is as follows:
HOLE 34
Hole 34 was collared 20 meters outside the main porphyry zone near
the southeast end and intersected the oxide deposit portion of the
main zone between 92 and 216 meters with an average grade of .68
grams per tonne gold. FROM 216 TO 440 METERS, HOLE 34 INTERSECTED
the sulphide portion of the main porphyry zone with a 224 METER
INTERCEPT GRADING .9 GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .51 PERCENT COPPER.
The hole then deviated sharply to the east passing through the
lower grade edge of the porphyry into unmineralized volcanics
outside the zone.
HOLE 35 Hole 35 was collared 200 meters outside the main porphyry zone and
drilled at a -60 degree angle towards the main zone to a total
depth of 1071 meters (see section). As anticipated the upper
portion of the hole (0 - 326 meters) intersected the unmineralized
porphyry adjacent to the main porphyry zone. From 326 to 472
meters the hole intersected the lower grade edge of the main
porphyry zone grading .4 grams per tonne gold and .27 percent
copper. AT 472 METERS HOLE 35 INTERSECTED THE MAIN PORPHYRY ZONE
AND FROM 472 TO 1016 METERS RETURNING A 544 METER INTERCEPT
GRADING .95 GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .43 PERCENT COPPER.
HOLE 36
Hole 36 was collared 105 meters outside the main porphyry zone and
drilled at a -60 degree angle towards the main zone. From 0 - 382
meters the hole as anticipated intersected the unmineralized
porphyry adjacent to the main porphyry zone. From 382 to 410
meters, hole 36 encountered the south edge oxide portion of the
main zone grading .69 grams per tonne gold (near the average grade
for the oxide deposit). From 410 to 548 meters the hole
intersected the lower grade edge of the sulphide portion of the
main zone grading .61 grams per tonne gold and .25 percent copper.
AT 548 METERS HOLE 36 ENTERED THE CENTRE OF THE MAIN PORPHYRY
ZONE AND FROM 549 TO 896 METERS RETURNED AVERAGE GRADES OF .82
GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .31 PERCENT COPPER OVER 348 METERS. From
896 to 1040 meters the hole passed through the lower grade
northeast edge of the main porphyry zone, ending outside the main
zone.
HOLE 37
Hole 37 was collared in the centre of the main porphyry zone and
drilled at -80 degree angle. From 0 - 260 meters the hole
intersected a lower grade portion of the oxide deposit. FROM 260
TO 358 METERS, HOLE 37 INTERSECTED THE MAIN SULPHIDE ZONE GRADING
.85 GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .43 PERCENT COPPER. Between 358 and
522 meters the hole encountered a series of low grade dykes
parallel to the hole direction within the porphyry. These dykes
are the downward extension of a swarm of dykes in the oxide above
that are a small section of internal waste in the oxide deposit.
This section of the hole averaged .47 grams per tonne gold and .30
percent copper. FROM 522 TO 890 METERS, HOLE 37 AVERAGED .81
GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .39 PERCENT COPPER OVER 368 METERS IN
PORPHYRY MINERALIZATION WITH FEWER LOW GRADE DYKES. From 890 to
973 meters the hole intersected and bottomed in a subparallel low
grade dyke.
Holes 31 and 33 were collared near the northeast edge of the main
porphyry zone and drilled at an angle to the northeast. These
holes defined the northeast extent of the main zone encountering
primarily unmineralized volcanic rock outside the main zone.
Hole 32 was collared 750 meters southwest of the main porphyry
zone and was drilled at a -60 degree angle to a depth of 812
meters. At 628 meters (which is 370 meters southwest of the main
porphyry zone) the hole intersected porphyry style mineralization
similar to the main porphyry zone. From 628 to 817 meters the
grade was .47 grams per tonne gold and .17 percent copper. The
grade of this interval is lower than the main porphyry zone due
to localized lower grade blocks of volcanic rock encountered in
the porphyry.
A total of 19 deep holes and 220 shallow holes have now been
drilled at Cerro Casale. The shallow holes drilled off the upper
oxide portion of the deposit to 50 meters spacing to an average
depth of 300 meters. Of the 19 deep holes, 14 intersected the
main porphyry zone which has dimensions of 300 meters wide by 850
meters long and 750 meters deep from surface.
The average grade of these holes is 1.24 GRAM PER TONNE GOLD AND
.40 PERCENT COPPER. Excluding the two higher grade breccia holes,
THE AVERAGE GRADE IS .92 GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD AND .35 PERCENT
COPPER. DRILL HOLE 30 (previously released) which bottomed 350
meters southwest of the main zone intersected 382 METERS OF 1 GRAM
PER TONNE GOLD AND .26 PERCENT COPPER, indicating the potential to
double the width of the main zone. The zone remains open to the
south, southwest, west, northwest and at depth.
The Cerro Casale main porphyry zone outcrops at surface in oxide
material. The entire zone is contained within a large hill.
This topography combined with the grade and dimensions of the main
zone indicates attractive projected strip ratios even at depths
well below the depth of drilling to date.
Preliminary metallurgical floatation testing conducted on Cerro
Casale sulphide mineralization indicates gold reports with the
copper concentrate with good recoveries utilizing standard
floatation techniques. Additional tests are in progress to
further determine the metallurgical characteristics of the
sulphide ores; results are expected within two months.
Deep drilling is ongoing at Cerro Casale with two rigs. An
additional two rigs have arrived in Chile and will begin drilling
on site next week. The Companies expect to complete 8 to 10 deep
drill holes per month. The focus of the accelerated ongoing drill
program will be to further confirm the dimensions grade and
continuity of the main porphyry zone, better define the high grade
breccia zone and continue step out drilling to determine the
ultimate size and depth of the Cerro Casale zone.
EXPLORATION DRILLING
Exploration reverse circulation drilling has commenced on the
Cerro Roman and Romancito zones located 7.5 kilometers north of
the Cerro Casale Deposit on the Aldebaran Property. Previous
drilling at Cerro Roman has indicated the potential for another
large porphyry discovery. The additional three porphyry targets
on the Aldebaran joint venture will be drilled over the next two
months.
The Vancouver and Toronto stock exchanges neither approves nor
disapproves the information contained in this News Release. Bema
Gold Corporation trades on the Vancouver, Toronto and American
stock exchange, symbol - BGO. Arizona Star Resource Corp. trades
on the Vancouver Stock Exchange, symbol - AZS.
BEMA GOLD CORPORATION
Clive T. Johnson
C.E.O., Chairman & President
ARIZONA STAR RESOURCE CORP.
Roger T. Richer
President
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Bema Gold Corp.
John Anderson
(604) 681-8371
(604) 681-6209 (FAX)
1-800-316-8855
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