Drilling by Barisan Gold Corporation at Upper Tengkereng prospect has validated one of the highest-grade porphyry discoveries anywhere in the world of the past decade. The first hole at the Aceh province prospect has intersected 262 metres of 1.0% copper equivalent. 

The hole was completed on October 14 to a depth of 922 metres and porphyry mineralization was intersected from 18 metres to the end of the hole at 922 metres. It validated the geological model of the Upper Tengkereng porphyry prospect by confirming the width and depth of the high grade zone identified in a hole drilled in December 2010 which intersected a 59 metre interval grading 1.21 grams/tonne gold + 0.48% copper at the bottom of its hole.

At the same depth and area, the new hole intersected important copper and gold mineralization, including a 262 metre interval grading 0.81 grams/tonne gold + 0.49% copper (1.6 grams/tonne gold equivalent or 1.0% copper equivalent). It has significantly increased the width of mineralization along a southeast-northwest direction on the north-eastern edge of the system.

“We are very pleased with this first hole of the new drill program,” says Barisan’s chief executive officer Alex Granger. “There are very few new porphyry discoveries that have returned intercepts of 1% copper equivalent over more than 250 metres. This is even more impressive by the fact that we have not yet drilled down to the potassic zone and associated bornite mineralization of the Upper Tengkereng porphyry system where higher grades are usually intersected. The grades we are intersecting higher up in this system are higher than those that other recent discoveries have found in bornite rich mineralization within potassic zones.”

Drilling of the next hole began on October 24. It is being drilled from the same drill platform as the recent hole and is designed to test the centre of the surface identified diorite intrusive, which has yet to be targeted by the first three holes. The steep inclination of the hole is meant to try to target the potassic core mineralization of the porphyry prospect at depth, where grades are anticipated to be higher. It is planned to a depth of 1400 metres and, should it reach that depth, is likely to be completed by the end of the year.

Barisan Gold is also planning, approving and building a 130 metre road from the current drill platform to an area where the next drill platform will be built. The road and new drill platform are expected to be completed by year-end. The following few holes will be drilled from that platform, which will have the advantage of being located closer to the middle of the deposit rather than on its eastern edge like the first two drilling platforms.

Barisan Gold is engaged in the exploration, acquisition and development of mineral properties in Indonesia. It owns and operates two gold and gold-copper properties in Aceh Province on the northern tip of Sumatra Island - the Barisan gold-copper porphyry belt and the Abong epithermal gold project.
www.barisangold.com