21 Jul 2008 10:00
Stratex International Plc / Index:Β AIMΒ / Epic:Β STIΒ / Sector: Mining
21 July 2008
Stratex International Plc ('Stratex' or 'theΒ Company')Β
Stratex's Pipeline of Discoveries Grows and Drilling to Start on Priority Targets
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HIGHLIGHTS
Discovery ofΒ the Kozlu andΒ Β GΓΆlcΓΌkΒ porphyry goldΒ occurrences
2,000 metreΒ reverseΒ circulation ('RC')Β drillingΒ programmeΒ to commenceΒ atΒ KaracaΓΆrenΒ andΒ Β GΓΆlcΓΌkΒ in AugustΒ
DiamondΒ drillingΒ ofΒ ΓksΓΌtΒ alsoΒ to commenceΒ AugustΒ
HasanΓ§elebiΒ silicaΒ zones exceedΒ 5.5 kmΒ withΒ numerousΒ +1 g/tΒ gold values recordedΒ
Licence package including sixΒ identified alterationΒ zones established atΒ AltunhisarΒ
CEO Dr Bob Foster commented, "We are delighted with the rate at which we are adding quality exploration plays to our pipeline of projects. Following the recent discovery of the KaracaΓΆren, Kozlu, and GΓΆlcΓΌkΒ porphyryΒ occurrences,Β KonyaΒ continues to underpin our belief in its potential to host a major porphyry gold system. The importance our partner Teck ComincoΒ LimitedΒ places on these discoveries is evident from our mutual agreement to drill both KaracaΓΆren andΒ GΓΆlcΓΌkΒ imminently.Β
KonyaΒ ProjectΒ
The joint Stratex - Teck Cominco Limited ("Teck Cominco") exploration programme in the Konya Volcanic Belt, which is financed as part of Teck Cominco's earn-in, has identified two new porphyry gold occurrences.Β Porphyry-style quartz veins and anomalous gold values haveΒ nowΒ been identified in the Kozlu prospect, some 3 km east-south-east ofΒ the recently discoveredΒ KaracaΓΆrenΒ porphyry occurrenceΒ which hostsΒ outcropping rock values up to 1.27 g/t gold ("Au").
In addition,Β well-developedΒ porphyry-typeΒ quartz veiningΒ and overprinting alteration haveΒ been identified in a porphyry body at GΓΆlcΓΌk. Gold values up to 0.54 g/t have been recorded in theΒ intenselyΒ altered rocks.Β ThisΒ discovery isΒ 5 km east-south-east of the DoΔanbey porphyry gold occurrence,Β whichΒ was the subject of reconnaissance drillingΒ in late 2007/earlyΒ 2008.Β
ΓksΓΌtΒ
At theΒ Company's wholly-ownedΒ high-sulphidation gold discoveryΒ atΒ ΓksΓΌt,Β someΒ 300Β km east ofΒ theΒ KonyaΒ project area, priority is being given toΒ theΒ rapid start-up of drilling. Necessary permissions to drill areΒ currentlyΒ being sought and it is anticipated that twoΒ diamond drillΒ rigs will commence drillingΒ theΒ high-sulphidationΒ OrtaΓ§am ZoneΒ in August. A baseline environmental study willΒ be initiatedΒ at the same time.Β
The Company believes that thisΒ prospectΒ has excellent potential for significant goldΒ mineralisation,Β based onΒ theΒ extensive surface gold valuesΒ over an area of 200 metresΒ x 300 metresΒ reported on 27 May 2008 (including 111.0 metresΒ grading 0.90 g/t Au and 21 metresΒ grading 2.91 g/t Au).Β Β The gold is confined to gently dipping volcanic units up to 100 metresΒ in thickness that offer the potentialΒ forΒ readily accessible open-pittableΒ oxideΒ material.Β Β In parallel with the drilling programme,Β exploration will continue to focus on the wider silica system, which extends over an area ofΒ 4,000 metresΒ x 2,000 metresΒ and includes at least two additional discrete outcropping zones in which sampling has already identified anomalous gold values.
HasanΓ§elebi
Mapping of theΒ HasanΓ§elebiΒ project, hosted by a volcanic belt 200 km north-east ofΒ ΓksΓΌt,Β hasΒ revealed thatΒ a system of silica ledges extends more thanΒ 5,500 metres, within whichΒ twoΒ parallelΒ silica ledges extend near-continuously over a distance of at leastΒ 3,500 metres.Β Latest chip-sampling results include:
22 m-wide zone grading 1.16 g/t Au
Multiple values exceeding 1 g/t Au
One silica zone averaging 8.82 metresΒ wide and grading 0.44 g/t Au over a distance of 640 metresΒ (weighted average of chip samples taken across the zone at 50 metreΒ intervals)
Drill-testing of the gently to moderately dipping zones is planned for late 2008 or early 2009.Β Β Stratex has acquiredΒ an extensive licence package ofΒ 352Β km2Β over a number ofΒ substantial alteration zones in this volcanic belt and is now extending its exploration programme toΒ includeΒ at least four of these.
Altunhisar
The Altunhisar project, 100 km west ofΒ ΓksΓΌt,Β covers a major stratavolcanoΒ complex similar to those of theΒ Konya Belt.Β Β The Company has established a contiguous licence package of 455 km2Β over at least six identified alteration zones, including the 16 km2Β KaranlΔ±kdere Zone that hosts an 80 metre-wideΒ steeply dippingΒ silica ledge extending 1,000 metres.Β Β Reconnaissance exploration mapping and chip sampling in all zonesΒ hasΒ revealed numerous gold anomaliesΒ in addition toΒ high molybdenumΒ ('Mo')Β values up to 0.048%Β Mo. As a result of these positive findings,Β the exploration team has been expanded and the programme of mapping and samplingΒ hasΒ accelerated.Β
Sampling, assaying, and QA/QC
Stratex's sampling of drill core and outcropping rocks conforms to industry-wide good practice, with drill core being split using a diamond saw, and with chain of custody being observed for all samples. Analysis is undertaken byΒ ALSΒ Chemex at its laboratories in Vancouver, Canada, and Romania, and the Company maintains QA/QC on all analytical work via the use of certified reference materials, field duplicates, and blank samples in addition to monitoring of internal laboratory check-analyses. This is confirmed by ACA Howe.
CEO Dr. Bob Foster, FIMMM, CEng, is a Competent Person as defined by various international instruments and takes responsibility for the release of this information.Β
* * ENDS * *
For further information visitΒ www.stratexinternational.comΒ or contact:
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David Hall
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Stratex International Plc
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7830 9650
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Bob Foster
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Stratex International Plc
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7830 9650
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Anita Ghanekar
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Hanson Westhouse Limited
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Tel: +44 (0) 20 7601 6100
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Victoria Thomas
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St Brides Media & Finance Ltd
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Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177
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Notes to editors:
Stratex International Plc is an AIM-quoted exploration and development company currently focusing on gold and base metal opportunities inΒ Turkey. Its proven strategy is to discover and develop new projects by focused low-cost exploration, thus adding maximum value prior to optioning/joint venturing or selling on to a dedicated mining company.Β
Stratex's portfolioΒ inΒ TurkeyΒ covers 11 licence blocks totalling approximately 1,724Β sq km. These include the AltΔ±ntepeΒ gold project in north-east Turkey;Β the Inlice high-sulphidation gold deposit in the Konya Volcanic Belt;Β DoΔanbey, KaracaΓΆren, Kozlu, and GΓΆlcΓΌk -Β new porphyry gold targetsΒ within the Konya Volcanic Belt;Β ΓksΓΌt - high-sulphidation silica ledges up to 100 m in thickness; multiple silica zones and areas of lithocap alteration in theΒ HasanΓ§elebiΒ and Altunhisar prospects;Β Muratdere - a porphyry gold-copper-molybdenum occurrence,Β andΒ KaraagaΓ§Β - a partially exposed, gently dipping gold-bearing zone. Ongoing resource drilling and exploration programmes are underway on a number of these licences, focused on increasing Stratex's total resources, currently standing at slightly more thanΒ 916,000 oz of goldΒ and 2.5 million oz of silver.Β The Company is now actively seeking to put AltΔ±ntepe and Inlice into production with selected mining-capable partner companies.Β
Stratex has a strategic partnership with Canadian major mining company, Teck Cominco Limited, which has an 8.8% stake in the Company, enabling the two parties to pool expertise, skills and databases to identify potential projects. Β
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