Aben Announces 2012 Exploration and Drilling Plans for Justin Gold Project, Yukon
Vancouver, BC – Aben Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ABN) (OTC Pink: ABNAF) (the “Company”) is pleased to outline the planned 2012 exploration and drilling program for its 100% owned, 18,314 acre flagship Justin Gold Project. The property is located in the southeast Yukon on the Tintina Gold Belt approximately 35 kilometres southeast of the Cantung Mine and has an all season road running through its claims.
Justin Gold Project Location Map:
http://abenresources.com/site/assets/files/3771/abn-justin.jpg
The aggressive 2012 exploration and drilling program will consist of a planned 4,000 metres of diamond drilling in 15-20 holes focused on follow-up and expansion work around the newly discovered POW and Kangas Zones. The exploration program will also include additional geophysical and geochemical surveys as well as geological mapping.
Last year, a first-pass drill program consisting of ten drill holes was completed on the Justin Project in 2011 to test four different mineralized zones. The previously reported drill hole results from the 2011 program indicated that significant new greenfields gold and silver discoveries have been made in two areas on the property. Highlights include 60.00 metres of 1.19 g/t gold including 21.0 metres of 2.47 g/t gold as well as 11.3 metres of 2.70 g/t gold and 29.00 g/t silver in the POW Zone. Additionally, a 1.07 metre interval of 7320 g/t Ag (234 oz/ton Ag) and 3.52% Cu was intercepted at the Kangas Zone which is 1.4 kilometres south of the POW Zone.
Cross Section of POW Zone Drill Holes JN11009 and JN11010:
http://abenresources.com/site/assets/files/3771/justin-pow-zone-section.jpg
2012 Justin Project Drill Program:
Aben plans to commence a 4,000 metre diamond drill program in early June on the Justin Gold Project and permitting for the program is currently underway. The primary targets for the drill program are the POW and Kangas Zones with the majority of the drilling to be carried out at the POW Zone. The principal objective of the drilling is to further test the gold and silver mineralization discovered at the POW Zone and to follow-up on the high grade silver and copper mineralization discovered at the Kangas Zone.
Justin Project Claims Map:
http://abenresources.com/site/assets/files/3771/justin-claim-boundary.jpg
Both drill holes at the POW Zone last season were successful in intercepting strong gold mineralization at vertical depths of 115 metres to 125 metres and the zone is open in all directions. Multi-phase precious metal mineralization is present in the POW Zone including massive skarn replacement style mineralization and structurally controlled stockwork vein hosted mineralization. Both phases of mineralization display geochemical affinity to an Intrusion Related Gold Model and indicate that the mineralizing system was long-lived. The size of the porphyry dikes present on the property and their spatial distribution indicate that a multi-kilometric intrusive stock could be present. The Company plans on testing for the potential of a large mineralized system at the Justin Project with the 2012 drill program. Specifically, the Company plans on initial expansion drilling around the 2011 discovery holes at the POW Zone followed by exploratory drilling of large untested geophysical anomalies proximal to the discovery zone which are considered high-priority drill targets. Positive surface sampling results from 2010 and 2011 are located 400 metres to the east of the new gold discovery in holes JN11009 and JN11010, which will also be drill tested.
Justin Project 3D Geophysical Mag Survey:
http://abenresources.com/site/assets/files/3771/justin_project_3d_geophysical_mag_survey.jpg
The Kangas Zone will also see drilling to follow up on the 2011 discovery of high grade silver and copper mineralization. This newly discovered silver-copper zone in previously reported hole JN11003 is open along strike and Aben plans to test the potential strike extension of this zone in 2012. Difficult ground conditions hampered the 2011 drilling efforts at the Kangas Zone, and target depths were reached on only one of the three holes that were drilled last year. The sample recovery over the interval in hole JN11003 was only 15%, and therefore results may not reflect the true thickness or tenor of the mineralization. The hole was terminated within the mineralized interval due to poor ground conditions and Aben plans to test for a potentially longer true width of this zone in the 2012 drill program.
Upon analyzing the results and data from last year’s field work, Aben’s management and geological team have a much better understanding of the discovery zones which will lead to a more structured and focused drill plan in 2012. The Company anticipates a total of 15-20 drill holes in the 2012 drill program at the POW and Kangas Zones compared to a total of five last season, two of which were lost due to poor ground conditions.
2012 Justin Project Additional Exploration:
In addition to the diamond drill program, Aben is planning on conducting further silt and soil geochemical surveys, compiling recently acquired geophysical data, and completing both detailed and property-scale geological mapping.
As a result of the Company’s greenfields gold-silver-copper discoveries at the Justin Project, Aben has recently acquired 14,274 additional acres of mineral tenure in the immediate vicinity of the property to facilitate the more aggressive 2012 work program. The planned geophysical work will consist of a magnetic and an electromagnetics survey to infill new areas of property not covered by the previous airborne survey. The 2012 silting program will focus on creeks and drainages in the areas of newly acquired land tenures while the soil sampling program will focus on expanding the existing soil grid north and west of the POW Zone. Furthermore, detailed property scale mapping will focus on verifying and expanding on the current geological understanding of the property with the POW and Kangas Zones being key areas of interest. The information gathered in the field will guide drilling activities and will be used to build a 3-dimensional bedrock model of the Justin property.
Justin Project Camp and TerraLogic Exploration:
A seasonal, 20-man exploration camp will be constructed adjacent to the Nahanni Range Road on the Justin property, and will service all exploration activities. The camp will be winterized upon completion of the 2012 field activities.
Aben has engaged TerraLogic Exploration Inc. of Cranbrook, BC to oversee all aspects of the 2012 exploration and drilling programs on the Company’s Yukon projects. TerraLogic has been operating mineral exploration projects in North America since 1992 and has extensive experience up in the Yukon and NWT. Through TerraLogic, Aben has arranged for field crews, support staff, camps, supplies, helicopters and drill rigs to conduct the exploration to be carried out this year.
Qualified Person:
Tim J. Termuende, P.Geo., is a director and the Qualified Person for Aben Resources as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release.
About Aben Resources:
Aben Resources is a Canadian gold and silver exploration company developing properties in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Aben’s Yukon and NWT Properties Claims Map:
http://abenresources.com/site/assets/files/3771/abn_property_location.jpg
For further information on Aben Resources Ltd.(TSX-V: ABN), visit our Company’s web site at www.abenresources.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Jim Pettit”
____________________
JAMES G. PETTIT
President
For further information contact myself or:
Don Myers
Aben Resources Ltd.
Corporate Communications
Telephone: 604-687-3376
Toll Free: 800-567-8181
Facsimile: 604-687-3119
Email: info@abenresources.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors, refer to the Company’s filings with Canadian Securities regulators available on www.sedar.com.