LANGU GOLD AND MAE LAMA TUNGSTEN PROPERTY UPDATES
May 9, 2007
Vancouver, B.C. Canada – Amanta Resources Ltd. (“Amanta”) is presently active at two of its exploration properties in Thailand; the Langu Gold property, where a 5,000 metre drilling programme is in progress and the Mae Lama Tungsten property, where a limited initial drilling programme has just begun.
Langu Gold Property
Amanta holds four contiguous Special Exploration Licences (SPLs) at its Langu Gold Property, in Satun Province, southern Thailand, covering approximately 57 sq. km. Two of the SPLs were granted in 2004, the other two followed in 2006.
The geology of the area is dominated by Devonian continental and deep sea marine sediments with dominant fault directions NW and EW and north-south folding axes. The presence of gold in the area was first discovered in 1999 at an abandoned stibnite (antimony) quarry, the Discovery Quarry, in the north of the company’s present licence area. Channel samples along outcropping mineralized rocks returned an average grade of 20 g/t gold, over a length of approx. 20 metres, in an outcrop in the quarry wall. Grab samples from the area of the previous stibnite operation yielded assays up to 160 g/t.
In late-2005, Amanta conducted a limited shallow reconnaissance drilling programme (up to 90 m deep) in the vicinity of the Discovery Quarry. While the outcropping high grades were not intersected at depth, several holes intersected lower grade mineralization, with the best intercept being in drill hole LNG 02, a 75 metre deep drill hole located between the Discovery Quarry and the Discovery South target, which intersected a gold mineralized interval of 2.9 g/t Au, over 3.4 metres, at a depth of approx. 30 metres. This hole also had two other mineralized intervals, each of 1.5 metres and grading 0.2 g/t Au.
Amanta has since completed extensive mapping, rock and soil sampling and geophysical programs over approximately half of the present project area (the area of the two original SPLs), resulting in the identification of a 6,000 metre anomalous gold trend and the delineation of a number of priority drill targets. High grade outcrops were discovered 2000 metres south of the Discovery quarry, where grab samples of up to 160 g/t Au were collected at surface, and in several locations along the trend where trenches encountered significant gold grades at shallow depth. One trench at the May target included 40 metres at a grade of 1.4g/t Au, including 8 metres at 3 g/t Au, while a trench at the Discovery South target yielded 4 metres at a grade of 15g/t Au.
Gold mineralization occurs mainly as stratiform sediment hosted replacement style closely associated with decalcification and partial replacement of calcareous shale by silica. The type of gold mineralization may be described as “Carlin-style” and is similar to such deposits in China.
Amanta is presently completing a 5,000-metre drilling program, comprising an estimated 30 HQ cored holes, designed to test several identified targets over the present Langu gold trend. Drilling commenced in the northwest area of this trend (the May target) and is proceeding from north to south. To date, a total of nine drill holes have been completed, with depths ranging from approximately 180 to 300 metres. Assays are now available for these, comprising the initial programme in this target area.
These nine widely spaced holes, totaling 1616 metres, have been completed over an area of approximately one sq km which is structurally offset to the west of the main Langu anomalous gold zone. The first five holes were aimed at systematically intersecting IP chargeability anomalies, at sections 200 metres apart, in order to examine the validity and the meaning of these anomalies.
Each of these holes intersected wide intervals of sulphide mineralized material in which the sulphides generally accounted for up to 5%, and sometimes 10%, of the rock volume. Drill hole LNG 13, encountered an 11 metre intercept anomalous in gold with an average grade of just below 0.1 g/t Au. This occurrence will be further explored at a later date.
Drill holes LNG 15 and LNG 17, drilled along the same strike and with the same azimuth, were aimed at intercepting at depth the shallow mineralization encountered in trenching. Each hole intersected a two to three metre thick steeply dipping mineralized zone with values of 3 meters @ 1g/t Au at a depth of 70 metres in drill hole LNG 15, and of 2 meters @ 0.25 g/t Au at a depth of 41 metres in drill hole LNG 17. In addition, drill hole LNG 15 returned an intercept of 5 metres @ 0.35 g/t Au from 108 to 113 metres, including 2 metres @ 0.7 g/t Au from 111 to 113 meters.
The mineralized material is a pyrite rich brecciated silicified mudstone and could be the upper part of a ‘feeder’ zone. The Company is very encouraged by these initial results at the May target area and will further evaluate the mineralized system, at greater depths, in the ongoing exploration programme.
Following the completion of the initial programme in the May area, drilling has now commenced in the target area known as Discovery South, located approx 2 km south of the Discovery Quarry. Major gold indications in this area include a four metre trench intercept @ 15 g/t Au and the occurrence of visible gold in another small stibnite pit. In this same pit, two high grade grab samples returned 160 g/t Au.
Upon completion of its recently announced financing, Amanta plans to contract an additional 5,000 metres of core drilling at Langu. Additional funds will also be allocated to evaluate the area of the two recently-granted SPLs, including geochemical and geophysical programmes and subsequent drilling of identified targets.
Mae Lama Tungsten Property
Amanta holds the exploration and development rights to the Mae Lama tungsten property, in Mae Hong Son province, northern Thailand, under an agreement with the present Mining Licence holders. A limited drilling programme has now commenced at the property.
Mae Lama was the scene of one of Thailand’s more prolific tungsten producers until declining tungsten prices led to its closure in the mid-1980s. Production was from wolframite contained in a quartz vein (the Mae Lama vein) with a reported mining head grade in excess of 2% WO3.
Amanta proposes to test this vein below the extent of the previous open-pit operations, as well as examine the potential of a number of quartz veins which run approximately parallel to it. These ‘parallel’ veins have never been mined but historic test pitting results obtained from the Geological Survey Department indicate a 1000 x 300 meters wide surface zone, having assay values above 0.1% WO3 in eluvial material. Amanta is presently conducting a confirmation programme of these surface results.
Upon completion of these initial programmes, pending the company’s review of all available Mae Lama data and records, and the extension to the existing Mining Licence, the company proposes to move the drill rig to the Langu Gold property to accelerate the drilling programme at that project.
Pieter Bakker (Director, COO – Amanta Resources Ltd.) has verified geological Information contained within this report. Mr. Bakker satisfies the requirements of a Qualified Person as defined in the National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects).
Amanta Resources Ltd. is focused on mineral exploration, development and production in Thailand and the Southeast Asian region. The Company concentrates on the systematic evaluation of known mineral occurrences, rather than "greenfields" exploration, creating early opportunities to finance and develop mines.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
AMANTA RESOURCES LTD.
“Patrick Cauley”
Patrick Cauley, VP, Chief Financial Officer
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