Eritrea Resource play (ERP)

[Ed Monton]

Nevsun Resources releases final Harena drill results


2005-06-09 17:16 ET - News Release

Mr. John Clarke reports

NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD.: HARENA DRILL RESULTS AND SIGNIFICANT NEW GRAVITY ANOMALY DISCOVERIES AT BISHA PROJECT

Nevsun Resources Ltd. has released both the final drill results of the recently completed Harena drill program in Eritrea as well as the discovery of significant new gravity anomalies adjacent to the newly discovered Harena deposit. The original Harena discovery drill holes were reported in Stockwatch on April 5, 2005. The Harena deposit is located 9.5 kilometres to the southwest from Nevsun's high-grade Bisha main volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit. Harena was an important find for Nevsun as it represents a third VMS discovery on the Bisha concession; represents a good satellite opportunity for supplemental feed for the Bisha mine site currently undergoing feasibility; and significantly extends the exploration district for potential VMS opportunities.

Harena was initially targeted as a coincident gravity and electromagnetic anomaly. Having successfully intersected massive sulphides with the Harena discovery holes, Nevsun extended its gravity investigations along strike of the Harena deposit a further 3.5 kilometres. This work was completed during the current drill campaign and has resulted in the identification of several larger and stronger gravity signatures. A drill program to test these anomalies will be prepared for the fall of 2005.

This release provides a table of Harena drill hole results.

Harena drill hole data

A total of 20 diamond drill holes has been completed on the Harena deposit to date, with a series of sections 100 metres apart having been drill tested over a strike length of 400 metres. Initial assay results from the first four holes were released in April and can be accessed on Nevsun's website.

A summary of the assay results is as follows.

 
                Table 1 
  
          HARENA DRILL HOLE RESULTS 
  
 Hole  Length Au   Ag   Cu    Pb   Zn 
 No.     m   g/t   g/t   %    %    %  
  
 Oxide 
  
 H-005  4.3  1.33  0.7  0.03 0.04 0.07 
 H-009  9.0  0.68 23.7  0.01 0.14 0.03 
  
 Primary 
  
 H-006  7.4  0.34 22.6  0.78 0.14 7.25 
 and   30.3  1.40 30.2  0.86 0.19 0.32 
 H-007  4.7  0.03  7.9  0.08 0.16 3.10 
 H-010  9.1  0.16  8.5  0.20 0.00 1.30 
 and    9.1  0.12  5.4  0.28 0.01 6.12 
 H-011 22.4  0.34 20.9  0.85 0.06 3.58 
 Incl.  6.8  0.27 16.3  0.26 0.11 6.54 
 Incl.  7.2  0.42 25.2  1.54 0.01 4.53 
 H-012  3.8  0.59 11.5  1.62 0.00 0.12 
 H-013 14.7  0.11 12.4  0.28 0.15 5.10 
 and    3.4 20.75 299.2 0.31 2.50 0.17 
 H-014 12.8  0.35 20.7  0.98 0.03 3.15 
 and    5.5  0.73 20.1  0.12 0.14 0.03 
 H-015  3.0  1.03 46.5  0.08 0.11 0.21 
 and    8.1  0.33 24.3  1.19 0.03 2.04 
 H-016 20.3  0.97 21.9  0.68 0.08 0.89 
 Incl.  7.1  0.68 33.8  0.93 0.19 1.92 
 H-018  2.0  0.21 15.5  0.31 0.06  1.7 
 and    1.0  0.12  0.5  1.59 0.00 0.02 
  
 

..........


Holes H-008, H-017, H-019 and H-020 did not intersect mineralization of significance. Hole H-019 targeted an electromagnetic conductor located 200 metres to the north of the massive sulphide horizon. The anomaly was interpreted to be caused by graphite and graphitic sediments and volcanic rocks were intersected. Hole H-020 tested a gravity anomaly located 400 metres to the southeast of the sulphide zone. The gravity anomaly was not explained and additional work is planned to define this target further.

The Harena deposit is interpreted to be cut off to the northeast and open to the southwest. Hole H-012 contains the deepest intersection to date at a vertical depth of approximately 175 metres. The massive sulphides in this hole are diminishing in width when compared with the previous five holes on the same section.

Section 5800, intercepts from left to right:


H-012: 0.59 gram per tonne gold, 11.5 g/t silver, 1.6 per cent copper copper, 0.12 per cent zinc over 3.8 metres



H-011: 0.3 g/t Au, 25 g/t Ag, 0.8 per cent Cu, 3.9 per cent Zn over 26.4 m



H-004: 0.6 g/t Au, 26 g/t Ag, 1.0 per cent Cu, 2.8 per cent Zn over 22.95 m



H-003: 1.0 g/t Au, 23 g/t Ag, 1.0 per cent Cu, 3.0 per cent Zn over 22.5 m



H-002: 2.4 g/t Au, 105 g/t Ag, 0.44 per cent Cu over 10.5 m



H-001: 3.2 g/t Au over 12.0 m


Gravity anomalies located adjacent to Harena

Following the success of intersecting a massive sulphide deposit at Harena, a line grid was established to cover favourable stratigraphy for an additional 3.5 kilometres to the southwest of the Harena deposit. Gravity, HLEM, magnetometer, soil geochemistry and geological mapping surveys have been carried out to determine if additional VMS deposits are present in the area.

The gravity survey has defined several strong residual responses up to 1.0 mgal to the southwest of the Harena deposit. One anomaly appears to be directly along strike from Harena and occurs over a strike length of at least 1,200 metres. All the newly defined gravity responses underlie areas of significant transported overburden thickness.

A map of the recently completed gravity work defines the relatively small and weak response that signatures the Harena deposit, however the significantly stronger new gravity responses defined in the region are quite evident. The gravity signature of the Bisha main deposit is also shown for comparison purposes only.

A significant amount of drilling will be required to assess the resource at Harena as well as to test new the targets that are emerging from the recently completed survey work. The size of the gravity anomalies provides an exciting opportunity for further exploration.

Bill Nielsen, vice-president of exploration for Nevsun, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, supervised and directed all work associated with the drilling program.

Sample preparation and analysis were conducted at ALS Chemex of Vancouver, Canada.