Luna Gold Announces Initial Resource Estimate at Cachoeira
Vancouver, December 23, 2010 - Luna Gold Corp. (TSXV-LGC) ("Luna"
or the "Company") is pleased to announce a maiden National
Instrument ("NI") 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate at
its 100% owned Cachoeira Project in Para State,
northern Brazil. The mineral resource has been prepared by Scott Wilson
Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. (Scott Wilson
RPA) according to the guidelines of the Canadian Institute of Mining,
Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM"). Cachoeira
has an Indicated mineral resource of 12.5 million tonnes
at 1.11 grams/tonne Au, or 446,000 ounces gold,
and an Inferred resource of 5.4 million tonnes
at 1.27 grams/tonne Au, or 221,300 ounces gold.
Mineral Resource Estimate
The Cachoeira mineral resource estimate
comprises drilling results from the Tucano, Arara and Coruja deposits
and is shown in Table 1. A plan map showing the location of the deposits
and preliminary open pit shells has been uploaded to the Luna Gold
website at www.lunagold.com or to view directly click here. A technical report will be filed on SEDAR in due course.
TABLE 1 MINERAL RESOURCES - DECEMBER 22, 2010
Luna Gold Corp. - Cachoeira Project
Classification
|
Location
|
Tonnes
|
Grade
|
Ounces
|
('000s)
|
(g/t
Au)
|
('000s)
|
Indicated
|
Tucano
|
10,077
|
1.14
|
371
|
|
Arara
|
2,104
|
0.92
|
62
|
|
Coruja
|
352
|
1.16
|
13
|
Total Indicated
|
|
12,533
|
1.11
|
446
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inferred
|
Tucano
|
5,344
|
1.28
|
219.1
|
|
Arara
|
38
|
0.72
|
0.9
|
|
Coruja
|
47
|
0.90
|
1.3
|
Total Inferred
|
|
5,429
|
1.27
|
221.3
|
Notes:
1.
CIM definition standards were
followed for Mineral Resources.
2.
The Qualified Person for this
Mineral Resource estimate is Patti Nakai-Lajoie,
P.Geo.
3.
Mineral Resources are estimated at
a pit discard cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t Au. Preliminary open pit shells
were used to constrain the resources.
4.
The Tucano
database consists of 86 diamond holes (DH), 78 reverse circulation (RC)
holes, 6 combined RC/DH holes and 221 auger drill holes in addition to 70
surface channels and 32 underground channels.
5.
The Arara
database consists of 64 diamond drill holes, 101 auger drill holes, and 8
surface channels.
6.
The Coruja
database consists of 33 diamond drill holes, 14 RC holes, 2 combined
RC/DH holes, 166 auger drill holes, and 86 surface channels.
7.
High assays were capped at 30 g/t
Au at Tucano and 10 g/t Au at Arara and Coruja.
8.
Tucano, Arara and Coruja
block dimensions: 10 m E x 10 m N x 5 m high.
9.
Mineral Resources are estimated
using a gold price of US$1,238 per ounce.
10.
Bulk densities used were 2.70 t/m3
to 2.75 t/m3 in rock, 2.17 t/m3 to 2.40 t/m3 in the
transition zone, and 1.72 t/m3 to 1.89 t/m3 in saprolite.
11.
Numbers may not add due to
rounding.
12.
Mineral Resource estimates may be
materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation,
socio-political, marketing or other factors.
Luna's President & CEO, John Blake, comments, "This initial
resource estimate is a significant milestone at Cachoeira,
with ample scope to increase the resource Cachoeira
is now a new stand-alone project, a solid platform in the development of Cachoeira into mine production. This resource
estimate provides Luna Gold with additional value at low cost.
Whittle pit shells were used to constrain all mineral resources and
significant mineralization extends beyond the pit constraints,
particularly at Arara where 50% of
mineralization lies outside the Whittle pit shell, and Coruja where 68% of mineralization lies outside the
Whittle pit shell. At Tucano 17% of
mineralization is located outside of the Whittle pit shell. While this
mineralization cannot currently be considered a resource it demonstrates
that strong potential exists to increase the Cachoeira
mineral resources."
The Scott Wilson RPA Qualified Person under NI 43-101 is Patti Nakai-Lajoie, P.Geo., who has reviewed and approved this news release as
it applies to the mineral resource estimate.
Luna's VP Exploration, Titus Haggan, states,
"The Cachoeira exploration team has made
excellent progress in 2010 and we are finalizing our 2011 work programs
and budgets with the objective of aggressively advancing Cachoeira. Field teams are currently auger drilling
newly defined regional gold targets within the Cachoeira
Shear Zone and assay results will be reported as they are received.
Socio-economic diagnostic studies have been commissioned and we will be
assigning key personnel to the project in early 2011."
Geology & Mineralization
Cachoeira is an advanced stage gold project in
northeast Par� state, Brazil. Orogenic gold mineralization occurs within a 5 km
long north trending shear zone. Three deposits, Tucano,
Coruja and Arara,
have been defined to date. The Tucano deposit
is located within the Cachoeira town urban
limit.
Earn-In Terms
In October 2007, as amended in December 2008, January 2010 and August
2010, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% interest in
the Cachoeira project from a consortium (the
"Vendors"). To acquire the interest, the Company paid the
Vendors 0.5 million BRL (US$0.3 million), committed to incur exploration
and eventual project feasibility and development expenditures of
approximately 9.5 million BRL (US$5.5 million) by December 2011, and to
provide a royalty of 4% of net profits interest. The Company has the
right to buy-back 2% of the net profits interest for a payment of US$4.0
million any time prior to the first anniversary of commercial gold
production. Commercial production must commence by October 2012 or the
Company will pay a fine of $0.2 million each year on a monthly pro rata
basis, in lieu of the operating royalty until commercial production is
achieved.
At September 30, 2010, Luna had incurred accumulated exploration
expenditures of 6.24 million BRL as part of the Company's agreement with
the vendors to incur exploration expenditures of 9.5 million BRL. The
Company has presented a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate to the
Vendors and satisfied this contractual obligation.
CORPORATE UPDATE
Luna Gold Corp. is pleased to announce that further to its release of
December 14, 2010, it has uploaded 3 cross sections from its ongoing
resource drill program at the Piaba gold
deposit, Aurizona to its website at www.lunagold.com or to view cross sections directly click below:
Luna's President & CEO, John Blake, commented, "The sections now
displayed on our website relate to the recent results of 7 drill holes at
the Piaba deposit. The holes were drilled on
sections 000, 200W and 400W and demonstrate continuous mineralisation along 400m strike length to a depth of
-300m RL. Drilling continues at Piaba to define
further mineralization within the 3 km long orogenic
gold deposit and we are confident that we can deliver a significant
increase in resources. To provide context, the current Aurizona 2010 FS pit at its deepest point is RL --
136m. Assay results are expected in late January from trenching and auger
drilling programs ongoing at the exploration targets at Aurizona which are located in close proximity to the Aurizona Plant currently in commissioning."
About Luna Gold Corp
Luna is a gold mining and exploration company engaged in the exploration
and development of gold deposits and advanced stage gold exploration
projects in Brazil. The Company is currently commissioning its Aurizona gold mine in Maranh�o,
Brazil.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
LUNA GOLD CORP.
John Blake - President and CEO
Website: www.lunagold.com
For further information contact Investor Relations at (604) 689-7317 or
toll free at 1-866-689-7317.
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.
Regulatory Footnotes
Exploration at the Cachoeira Project was
initiated in 1985 by Companhia de Minera��o e Participa��es
(CMP) and Minera��o CCO Ltda
(CCO) and continued through the 1990's with work by Brazilian Goldfields
Ltd (BGZ) and Goldfields Ltd (Goldfields). Companhia
Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) conducted an
exploration program at Cachoeira in 2003. Luna
acquired the property in 2007 and commenced exploration soon after. CMP
drill core assays were conducted at the Geosol
and Delab/MNA Laboratories, Belo Horizonte and
the LBPM/Nomos Laboratory in Rio de Janeiro.
CCO drill core assays were conducted at Geoser
Laboratory, Belo Horizonte. The BGZ and Goldfields drill core assays were
conducted at Bondar Clegg Laboratories, Vanvouver. The Vale core assays were conducted at Geosol Laboratories, Belo Horizonte. Luna used ALS Chemex Laboratories in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and
Lima, Peru for drill core assays. Luna's QA/QC program consists of
blanks, Certified Reference Materials (CRM) and quarter core duplicates.
Patti Nakai-Lajoie, P.Geo., of Scott
Wilson RPA is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument
43-101. Ms Nakai-Lajoie was responsible for the
preparation of the above resource estimate on the Cachoeira
Project and is independent of the Company in accordance with NI 43-101.
Titus Haggan Ph.D., EurGeol
Certified Professional Geologist #746, Luna's VP Exploration is the
Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 responsible
for the scientific and technical work on the exploration program and has
supervised the preparation of and reviewed certain technical disclosure
in this press release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation
of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The
securities have not been and will not be registered under the United
States Securities Act of 1933, as amended or any state securities laws
and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S.
persons unless registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933
and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such
registration is available.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward looking statements. Forward-looking
statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the
specific factors identified in Luna Gold Corp.'s periodic filings with
Canadian Securities Regulators. These factors include the inherent risks
involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the
uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other
exploration data, the potential for delays in exploration or development
activities, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the
possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will
not be consistent with the Company's expectations, accidents, equipment
breakdowns, title matters, labor disputes or other unanticipated
difficulties with or interruptions in production and operations,
fluctuating metal prices, unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainties
relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future,
the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the
potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price
fluctuations, currency fluctuations, regulatory restrictions, including
environmental regulatory restrictions and liability, competition, loss of
key employees, and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company
undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as
required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents
management's best judgment based on information currently available. No
forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may
vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements or information.
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