Fourteen months ago, the Company's Hill Copper-Zinc Project comprised just 13 unpatented mining claims. Since then, Aurelio Resources has increased its land position from approximately 260 acres to more than 5,000 acres, successfully consolidating the Turquoise Mining District, which has a long, documented history of profitable copper, zinc, gold and silver production.
Aurelio has also acquired the historical exploration database for the entire district, which consists of drill logs and assay information for more than 270 diamond and reverse circulation drill holes representing over 190,000 feet of drilling.
More recently, the Company located and successfully acquired the historic drill core from Santa Fe Pacific Mining and Great Gray Resources' exploration programs in the MAN area (more than 76,780 feet of core from 95 holes; see News Release #07-11), as well as core from eight holes (over 7,200 feet) drilled by Bear Creek Exploration in the Courtland and South Courtland areas. Much of this core was only assayed for copper; Aurelio has been systematically re-logging, re-sampling and re-assaying this core for gold, silver, lead and zinc, and adding the results to the company's exploration database. Aurelio anticipates that upon completion of this program that the MAN area resource will be significantly expanded.
Drilling undertaken by Aurelio in 2006 and 2007 confirmed the prior work by Newmont Mining and Santa Fe Pacific Mining in the Courtland area, and the Company's geologists are preparing an updated in-house resource estimate for this zone.
In early 2007, Aurelio discovered a major near-surface oxide copper and zinc deposit in the South Courtland area. Through the end of September, Aurelio has drilled more than 30 holes to delineate this new discovery, which remains open along strike and at depth. Drilling results have established economic grades and thicknesses, and the Company is very encouraged by the continuity of the mineralization. Metallurgical testwork is in progress, and an NI 43-101 resource estimate for South Courtland area is scheduled for early 2008.
The Company is nearing completion of an independent review of its in-house estimate of the mineralized material in the MAN area. These results will be communicated to shareholders as soon as they become available.
Lastly, the Company anticipates filing a listing application for a TSX Venture Exchange listing in Canada later this month. The Company intends to maintain its OTCBB and Frankfurt Exchange listings regardless of whether it obtains a listing on the TSX Venture Exchange, of which there is no assurance. A NI 43-101 Technical Report concerning
Lightning cracks the blackened sky,
Hear the thunder chariot ride
All brave men with hearts of war
Ride the path of mighty Thor
