Gold Exploration in West Africa

[FL]

At last, Birim's (BGI.TO) Bui concession news

Birim Goldfields Inc.
TSX: BGI
INDUSTRY: Mining - Precious Metals
MAY 16, 2006 - 08:31 ET

Drilling to Commence at Chert Ridge, Badu and Akrobi Prospects: Ghana's Minister of Mines Grants Birim 9 Prospecting Licenses on Bui Belt

MONTREAL, CANADA--(CCNMatthews - May 16, 2006) - Birim Goldfields Inc. (TSX:BGI) ("Birim" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that final Ministerial approval has been obtained for the granting of nine successor Prospecting Licenses that have followed systematic regional exploration on the Bui Reconnaissance License. Scout drilling will therefore shortly commence on the first three drill-ready priority targets already defined on these recently granted licenses.

All three drill-ready targets lie on major (greater than 40km long) regional scale northeast-trending structures that are clearly defined in airborne magnetic and EM datasets, and are supported by mapping and gold-in-soil anomalism (see map of the Bui Prospecting Licenses, Ghana West Africa - Drill-Ready Targets at the following address: http://www.ccnmatthews.com/docs/Birim%20Goldfields_a.jpg and http://www.ccnmatthews.com/docs/Birim%20Goldfields_b.jpg ). The targets occur in settings typical of some of the large world-class shear zone hosted gold deposits in West Africa. They occur in Birimian metasediments in proximity to metavolcanic, mafic intrusive or chert contacts on jogs or at an intersection of crosscutting structures with the NE trending structure. The targets are also associated with significant alteration typical of Ashanti-style deposits, including silicification, carbonate and sericite alteration with sulphides (pyrite and arsenopyrite).

The Chert Ridge target (Cluster Prospecting License) is comprised of two anomalous centres along a discrete 8km-long mineralized portion of a 13km-long shear structure. Of these two, the northeastern anomaly extends for 2,700 meters and is 50 meters to 100 meters wide at the 50 ppb level and has a highest assay value of 4,000 ppb gold-in-soils. The southwestern anomaly extends for 4,800 meters and is 50 meters to 100 meters wide at the 50ppb level and has an assay high of 3,080 ppb gold in soils. These samples were analysed by firing a 50-gram portion of a finely pulverized and homogenized sample followed by an atomic absorption finish at SGS Laboratories in Kumasi, Ghana.

The Akrobi target (Akrobi-Kakum Prospecting License) comprises a 2.7km-long anomalous zone. The largest anomaly extends for 1,800 meters and is 100 meters wide at the 50 ppb level with a high of 9,370 ppb gold in soils. These soil samples were collected by Santa Fe Mining in 1996 and were analysed by firing a 50-gram portion of the sample and using an atomic absorption finish at Inchcape Testing Services Mineral Laboratories at Obuasi, Ghana. Later sampling by Birim verified the existence of the anomaly and its dimensions and these samples achieved a maximum assay value of 541 ppb gold when assayed using neutron activation at Actlabs in Canada.

Approximately 10 km to the southwest of Akrobi lies the Badu target (also on the Akrobi-Kakum Prospecting License). A 4,000-meter long and 50 meter to 100 meter wide gold-in-soil anomaly at the 20 ppb level with a high of 2,512 ppb has been identified. These samples were analysed by firing a 50-gram portion of each sample followed by an atomic absorption finish at SGS Laboratories in Tarkwa, Ghana.

A scout drilling program has been budgeted for 1,400 meters and will commence during June 2006. A further 4 targets on the newly converted licenses are to be brought to the drill ready stage within a short period, following limited soil geochemistry infill sampling, ground geophysics and trenching to better refine them.

"These priority scout drilling programs are the vanguard of Birim's concerted efforts to aggressively advance the multiple targets generated during the systematic regional exploration programs on the Bui Reconnaissance License," says Vic King, President of Birim. "Follow up drilling is also being planned to advance previously drilled targets at Tombe, Chenchu Mountain and Tinga. Earlier stage exploration work continues on the 13 Bui properties as well as on the 4 more recently acquired Sefwi properties."

Jean Rainville, M.Sc., P. Eng., a qualified person under NI 43-101 has verified the contents of this release.

Birim Goldfields Inc. is a royalty-based exploration company focused on gold exploration in Ghana and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol BGI.