Desert Sun intersects gold north of Jacobina (February 07, 2005)

Exploration drilling by Desert Sun Mining (DSM-T) at the Pindobacu prospect, about 50 km north of the Jacobina mine in Bahia state, Brazil, has intersected gold mineralization in the same rock unit that holds the mineralization to the south.

The reconnaissance program was following up on geological mapping, soil geochemistry and an induced-polarization survey. The area also plays host to a number of garimpeiro workings.

Three holes at Pindobacu drilled west into the contact between Archean-age greenstones and overlying early Proterozoic conglomerates all intersected gold mineralization in multiple zones, with grades comparable to those in the Jacobina mine area. The holes generally tested shallow depths.

Hole 1 intersected six zones of mineralization, ranging from 0.3 to 3.7 metres true width. The best of the intersections graded 7.2 grams gold per tonne over 3.1 metres core length, or a true width of 2 metres.

Hole 2 intersected 12.3 grams over 5.3 metres (4.7 metres true width) followed by 10.2 grams over 6.1 metres. Including intervening lower-grade mineralization, the zones made up a 24.3-metre core length grading an average 5.5 grams gold per tonne, or a true width of 21.9 metres. A deeper zone carried 1 metre grading 2.1 grams per tonne.

In hole 3, the drill encountered a 6.5-metre intersection at 0.7 gram per tonne, a 27.1-metre intersection grading 1.5 grams, and a 1.9-metre interval of 1 gram per tonne.

A further 10 km north of Pindobacu, at Fumaca, Desert Sun drilled four holes with mixed results. Holes near garimpeiro workings in two other areas south of Pindobacu did not intersect any significant values.

Desert Sun has already outlined a measured and indicated resource of 24.8 million tonnes grading 2.5 grams gold per tonne in the immediate Jacobina area, in five separate mineralized zones. Further work, including a feasibility study, is planned for this year.