Southern Arc Minerals unveils phase one drill results from Bising at West Lombok

Southern Arc Minerals (CVE:SA) (OTCQX:SOACF) unveiled Thursday phase one drilling results from the Bising target at the Mencanggah prospect on its West Lombok property in Indonesia.

Results were received for holes MCG028 to MCG035, with a total of eight holes totaling 2,285.7 metres completed so far in the phase one program at the Bising target.

Highlights of results include hole MCG028, which intersected 51.3 metres at 1.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 35.6 metres, including 5.1 metres at 3.5 g/t gold from 53.4 metres and 3.8 metres of 4.9 g/t gold from 60.2 metres.

Hole MCG030 returned 39.0 metres at 1.8 g/t gold from 34.0 metres, including 9.7 metres at 4.9 g/t gold and 5.9 g/t silver from 56.3 metres, and 0.3 metres at 89.0 g/t gold and 27.6 g/t silver from 69.2 metres.

"Initial drill results indicate that gold mineralization continues at depth in the Bising target," said COO Dr. Mike Andrews.

"Given the impressive width of the main mineralized structure and the extensive network of offshoots and intersecting structures, Southern Arc will make Bising a high-priority target when full-scale exploration resumes at the West Lombok property."

Other notable results included hole MCG031, which returned 4.4 metres at 2.1 g/t gold and 7.3 g/t silver from 74.2 metres and 0.8 metres at 47.7 g/t gold and 13.2 g/t silver from 156.8 metres; and hole MCG032, which intersected 37.8 metres at 1.0 g/t gold from 11.7 metres, including 3.0 metres at 2.7 g/t gold from 19.0 metres and 4.8 metres at 4.0 g/t gold from 25.2 metres.

Southern Arc said Bising is a high-priority drilling target based on the presence of "significant surface channel intercepts" from banded and brecciated chalcedonic-quartz vein structures, including 5.0 metres at 12.2 g/t gold, 2.0 metres at 228.0 g/t gold and 5.0 metres at 5.22 g/t gold.

The extensive width, up to 66 metres, of the main Bising epithermal body is thought to result from the intersection of geological structures - a major west-northwest trending structure and several north-northwest trending structures - the latter of which form the dominant gold mineralized trend in the district, the company explained in a statement.

Drill holes tested the main Bising epithermal structural body, its extensions, and intersections with several crossing structures.

Southern Arc said that further drilling is warranted to map out these broad silification zones, which have "large tonnage potential", with closer-spaced drilling required to determine the continuity of higher grade gold zones.

The company expects to prioritize additional drilling of the Bising target when it resumes full-scale exploration at the property, upon receipt of its Pinjam/Pakai forestry permit.

In January 2011, the company received a mining business license for its West Lombok property, located on the southwest portion of Wombok Island in Indonesia, and shortly after initiated the forestry permit process that allows for advanced exploration activities on the project.

Recently, however, the company slowed its exploration program while awaiting a resolution of permitting issues related to exploration and development work completed within areas designated "Production Forest", which allows open-pit and underground mining with the appropriate forestry permit.

In the meantime, the company is focused on exploration of epithermal gold targets to the northwest of the property, and copper-gold porphyry targets to the southeast and northeast of the property.

Indeed, earlier this month, the gold and copper explorer said it found 17 new porphyry exploration targets throughout the property through a prospectivity study, and has already starting drill testing on priority targets.
Southern Arc is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio that includes four exploration projects with epithermal gold and gold-copper porphyry prospects on the Lombok and Sumbawa islands in Indonesia, three of which are being advanced in partnership with major mining companies Vale (NYSE:VALE) and Newcrest (NYSE:NEM).
The company’s flagship West Lombok Project is 85 percent owned by Southern Arc, 10 percent by the Indonesian Government and five percent by a local partner, and encompasses a 13 kilometre by seven kilometre structural corridor that is covered by deforested grassland, and hosts both epithermal gold and copper-gold porphyry deposits that were identified by Newmont in an earlier exploration program.
Southern Arc is actively exploring West Lombok after identifying 21 kilometres cumulative strike of mineralized structural breccia or "MSB" that trend from the northwest to southeast of the property, with three main prospects: Pelangan, Mencanggah and Selodong.
To see the latest Bising results in full, please click here: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/genera/files/sponsor_files/20120216table1bisingresults.pdf