Southern Arc Minerals unveils drill results at West Lombok, phase 1 Sabalong drilling continues

Southern Arc Minerals (CVE:SA) (OTCQX:SOACF) unveiled Wednesday an update on exploration activities at its West Lombok and Sabalong properties in Indonesia.

At West Lombok, exploration is currently focused on epithermal gold mineralization in the Pelangan prospect to the northwest of the property, as well as porphyry copper-gold mineralization around the Selodong prospect in the southeast.

Drill hole SLD031, the first to test new porphyry targets generated by an aeromagnetic survey, returned 83.0 metres at 0.33 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.08% copper from 285 metres, including 43.5 metres at 0.41 g/t gold and 0.08% copper from 306 metres, and 14.0 metres at 0.60 g/t gold and 0.12% copper.

This hole tested the North Belikat target, Southern Arc said, and the results were "encouraging" as the target is not exposed at surface, and assays confirm the methodology behind the prospectivity study for finding shallow or blind porphyry mineralization on the property, the company added.

A second hole, SLD032, has also been completed on another target with final assay results pending.

In addition, since early January this year, the company has completed 10 shallow drill holes along a 900-metre-long strike length of the Tanjung-Jati target, located on the Pelangan prospect. Highlights of these holes included 1.4 metres at 9.30 g/t gold from 50.5 metres in hole PLD043, and 2.0 metres at 5.84 g/t gold and 2.2 g/t silver from 11.7 metres in hole PLD040.

Southern Arc is now testing the Kayu Putih target at Pelangan immediately to the north of Tanjung-Jati, after which it will review the results of geochemical mapping and sampling to redeploy drill rigs as appropriate.

The company is continuously mapping and sampling epithermal gold targets on the property, both for new targets and follow-up of previous rock chip targets.

In February, Southern Arc unveiled phase one drilling results from the Bising target at the Mencanggah prospect on its West Lombok property, including 51.3 metres at 1.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 35.6 metres, and 5.1 metres at 3.5 g/t gold from 53.4 metres in hole MCG028.

Meanwhile, at the Sabalong project in Sumbawa Island, phase one drilling continues at the site, which is operated under a joint venture with Vale (NYSE:VALE). Southern Arc is the operator of the property, with Vale able to earn a 75 percent interest by funding all expenditures through to completion of a bankable feasibility study.

So far, two diamond drill holes have been completed for a total of 1,342 metres, and although no significant results were returned, Southern Arc said the geology and alteration found were encouraging enough to drill a third hole targeting porphyry copper-gold below a lithocap.

Southern Arc Minerals' portfolio includes four exploration projects with epithermal gold and copper-gold porphyry prospects on the Lombok and Sumbawa islands in Indonesia, two of which are being advanced in partnership with Vale.

The company's key property is its West Lombok project, with several gold-rich copper porphyry and epithermal gold vein prospects.
For view figures and tables of the drill results, please click on the links below.
Figure 2 - Pelangan Drill results: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/genera/files/sponsor_files/20120404figure2pelangandrillresults.pdf
Figure 1 - Selodong drill results: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/genera/files/sponsor_files/20120404figure1selodongdrillresults.pdf
Table 1, Table 2: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/genera/files/sponsor_files/20120404table1table2.pdf