General Minerals moves forward in China

Vancouver — A 25-hole drill program by General Minerals (GMC-T) has confirmed the grades of the surface mineralization at the Towerbank West prospect on the 56-sq.-km Towerbank project in Northwestern China.

The holes were spaced some 20-to-40 metres apart with 20 of them hitting mineralization grading greater than 1 gram gold per tonne. Highlights include:

• Hole 3 — 15.4 metres grading 2.63 grams gold from surface,
• Hole 4 — 162 metres grading 1.1 gram gold from 33.2 metres,
• Hole 5 — 5.7 metres grading 54.2 grams gold from 12.2 metres,
• Hole 6 — 11.1 metres grading 1.2 grams gold from 15.9 metres,
• Hole 7 — 31 metres grading 1.1 grams gold from 7.8 metres,
• Hole 1-1 — 9.7 metres grading 6.2 grams gold from 3.4 metres,
• Hole 1-2 — 1.6 metres grading 4.8 grams gold from 3.2 metres,
• Hole 1-3 — 3 metres grading 6.3 grams gold from 1.3 metres,
• Hole 3-4 — 2.5 metres grading 4.5 grams gold from 22.5 metres,
• Hole 4-2 — 15.8 metres grading 5.8 grams gold from 2.2 metres,
• Hole 4-4 — 23.8 metres grading 1.1 grams gold from 5.7 metres,
• Hole 7-2 — 4.3 metres grading 15 grams gold from 39.3 metres,
• Hole 16-4 — 7.3 metres grading 1.3 gram gold from 33.2 metres.

Based on the program, General Minerals is establishing a resource for the area.

Mapping and sampling over the property has also identified two new zones, dubbed Central Towerbank and South Towerbank. Lying 1 km northeast of the recent drilling, sampling from the Central Towerbank prospect returned up to 10.2 grams gold over 10 metres. South Towerbank lies 500 metres from Towerbank West and 14 grab samples returned from 0.64-to-2.9 grams gold.

General Minerals is earning a 71% stake in the property by spending US$3 million on exploration. That percentage could rise to 85% if the Chinese partners dilute their interest by not participating in the project. The property is adjacent to the Axi open pit mine, which produces 40,000 oz. gold annually, with a head grade of 5.6 grams gold.