Robust Resources to drill North Romang Island, JORC Resource at Lakuwahi due December quarter 2011

Robust Resources (ASX: ROL) has kicked off a highly anticipated drill program at the North Romang Project in Indonesia, after an extensive year long preliminary geophysical exploration campaign.

The company has completed a first phase, 167 line kilometre, 3D Induced Polarisation (IP) survey at the North Romang Project.

With significant Induced Polarisation (IP) aomalies now modelled in areas that have coincident soil geochemical and aeromagnetic anomalies, along with prospective surface geology, the data all supports the model for a large-scale porphyry-style target.

Managing director of Robust Resources, Gary Lewis told Proactive Investors today, North Romang has the potential to dwarf the company's Lakuwahi project which is part of South Romang, and located just 15 kilometres south-south-west of North Romang.

He said the anomaly is strengthening at depth. The IP anomaly Robust has identified is 4.5 km long, open in three directions (the fourth direction is in fact the sea, so it's open in all directions including at depth) and extends beyond 500 vertical metres.

He said the importance of this last point should not be underestimated as 500 metres is the limit of the detection of the IP method. Given that this anomaly is strengthening at depth, "we feel we could be looking at a much deeper system."

Lewis said, "in comparison to Lakuwahi, placing the existing identified anomalies side-by-side, North Romang is already longer and deeper, with the prospect of further extensions making it a potentially much larger system.

"There has not been any drilling in the North to date (whether historical or by Robust), so the ultimate test will be borne out by the drilling. We have immediately commenced a 5,000 metre deep drilling programme, and a second rig is planned for the area. We also plan to get the IP equipment back up to North Romang to work over the open areas (this equipment is currently back at Lakuwahi)."

The importance of North Romang for Robust is Robust has already defined the drill targets, with an initial 5000 metre diamond drill campaign already underway.

The aeromagnetic, IP, surface geology and soil geochemistry have collectively identified large and open anomalies which are interpreted by Robust to be sulphide targets, consistent with large-scale porphyry-style mineralisation.

Robust now has 7 diamond drills active on the Island, with another two planned for the current financial year.  The exploration budget for financial year 2012 is a healthy $15 million.

With Robust set to define a maiden resource later in the year, Lewis said Robust's focus is on delivering this, and then going back to exploring the Island to try and ascertain the boundaries of the mineralisation.

Tellingly, both of Robust's Lakuwahi and North Romang prospects are open in all directions.

The Lakuwahi mineralisation consists of an upper, gold-silver-rich blanket overlying extensive polymetallic sulphides rich in gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

On Lakuwahi, Robust is targeting a JORC Resource in the December quarter of 2011.

In total, Robust has seven diamond drills active on the island.

At 31 March 2011, Robust had $27.9 million in cash and no debt.


Originally published at: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/17623/robust-resources-to-drill-north-romang-island-jorc-resource-at-lakuwahi-due-december-quarter-2011-17623.html