Ariana Regulatory News (AAU)

25 Apr 2006 08:34

Ariana Resources PLC25 April 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 25 April 2006 ARIANA RESOURCES PLC WIDE GOLD ZONE CONFIRMED AT KIZILTEPE PROSPECT Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"; stock code AAU), the AIM-listed gold exploration company focused exclusively on Turkey, announces further confirmation of a potential bulk tonnage gold target at its Kiziltepe Prospect within Ariana's 100% owned Sindirgi Project in western Turkey. Highlights: •Systematic rock chip sampling further defines potential bulk tonnage gold target •Stockwork style mineralisation across an area of at least 650m by 250m •Peak rock chip sample of 16.2 g/t Au from outcropping vein Bulk tonnage target, Kiziltepe Prospect In March 2006, a field team from Ariana's Turkish operating subsidiary, GalataMadencilik San. ve Tic. Ltd. Sti. ("Galata") completed a programme of systematicrock chip sampling across a large (1km x 0.3km) gold in soil anomaly (as definedby a 0.1 g/t Au contour) at Kiziltepe. 84 samples were collected on a regular50m x 50m grid covering an area of 250m x 650m and assay results confirm thepresence of a wide zone of stockwork style mineralisation. Peak grades from thissurvey include 7.05 g/t Au and 16.2 g/t Au from samples coinciding with veinmaterial. The rock chip sampling grid will be extended and followed by aprogramme of systematic trenching and drilling to test the potential for a bulktonnage mining operation. As part of the same field programme, trenching and rock saw channel sampling onthe recently discovered Aybor Vein at Kiziltepe has returned a best intersect of2.45 g/t Au over 9.5m from 3 initial trenches. Steven Poulton, Chief Executive, commented: "Although work by Ariana and previous operators has focused on only a smallpercentage of the 20km vein system which outcrops at the Kiziltepe prospect,results to date have been highly encouraging. The potential for a bulk tonnagestyle stockwork gold deposit at Kiziltepe is now also being defined and drilltesting will be undertaken by Ariana following a programme of systematictrenching to bedrock. In the meantime our field team continues to discover newtarget areas across this highly prospective licence area". Contacts:Ariana Resources plcSteven Poulton, Chief Executive Tel: 01235 511767 Mobile: 07974 086712 s.j.poulton@arianaresources.comBankside ConsultantsMichael Padley/Susan Scott Tel: 020 7367 8888 Editors' note: About the Sindirgi Gold Project The Sindirgi gold project covers an area of 224 km2 in Balikesir Province,western Turkey. To date at least five target areas have been defined by Ariana,which include the prospects of Kiziltepe, Kepez, Karaduz, Kavakliduz andKizilcukur. Previous operators have defined over 45km of low sulphidation quartzveins on the project. Sindirgi lies approximately 100km east of the one millionounce vein-hosted Ovacik gold mine and 115km northwest of the five million ounceKisladag gold mine. Ariana acquired the Sindirgi Gold Project from NewmontMining Corporation (NYSE & ASX: NEM; TSX: NMC) in March 2005. Newmont retainsthe right to a royalty of up to 2.5% on future gold production from the Sindirgigold project. About the Kiziltepe Prospect The Kiziltepe prospect lies within a 36km2 ten-year renewable operating licencewithin the Sindirgi gold project which also contains the Kepez Prospect. Kiziltepe hosts over 19km in strike length of gold-silver bearinglow-sulphidation epithermal quartz veins across an area of at least 3km by 1km.Individual veins are exposed for up to 700m and widths vary between 1m and 14m.The main veins trend NW, dip to the northeast and are hosted within Miocene ageandesitic volcanic rocks. The majority of exploration work to date at Kiziltepehas focused on the Arzu vein, where results from drilling by previous ownersinclude intersections of 7.23 g/t over 10m and 10.55 g/t over 7.5m. Recentchannel sampling by Ariana (previously reported in November 2005) returned abest intersect of 6.29 g/t Au over 13.5m. Sampling and Assaying Procedures The Kiziltepe programme consisted of the collection of 84 rock chip samples. Ofthese 52 samples returned grades less than 0.25 g/t Au (62% of the total), 21samples between 0.25-1 g/t Au (25% of total), 9 between 1-5 g/t Au (11% oftotal) and 2 samples assayed above 5 g/t Au (2% of total), with a peak grade of16.2 g/t Au. All samples have been prepared by the ALS Chemex preparation facility in Izmirand assayed by fire assay at the ALS Chemex laboratory in Vancouver. Re-assayingof all samples assaying greater than 10 g/t gold has also been completed by ALSChemex. Regular standard and blank samples are being used in the sample sequencein line with the Company's quality control procedures. Matthew Grainger, BSc (Hons), MSc, is Ariana's Operations Director. A graduateof Anglia Polytechnic University in Earth Science, he also holds a Master'sdegree from the Camborne School of Mines in Mining Geology. He is a Fellow ofthe Geological Society of London and has worked in mineral exploration andproject development in Europe. He has read and approved the technical disclosurein this regulatory announcement. About Ariana Resources Ariana is a technology-driven exploration company focused on the discovery ofmulti-million ounce potential epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-golddeposits within the Tethyan metallogenic belt of Turkey. The Company has aportfolio of prospective licences covering approximately 1,000km2, selected onthe basis of its advanced in-house remote sensing database. Ariana's broker isAmbrian Partners Limited and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's nominatedadviser. For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the Company's websiteat www.arianaresources.com. Ends This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange