La Mancha Confirms the Presence of a Second
Enriched Zone at the Hassai Property
MONTREAL, QUEBEC --
May 26, 2009 - La Mancha Resources Inc. (TSX: LMA)
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Follow-up
drilling below the Hadal Awatib pits returns high-grade gold and copper
intersections
- The
enriched ore appears to be easily mineable by deepening the present pit
- Drilling
intersects Cu/Au-rich primary ore corresponding to the stringer zone of
the VMS lens
BEST INTERSECTIONS INCLUDE:
- 26
m at 1.19 g/t Au, 5.71% Cu and 1.17% Zn from 104 m(1)
- 11
m at 19.24 g/t Au and 51.64 g/t Ag from 5 m(1)
- 40
m at 0.68 g/t Au and 3.19% Cu from 10 m(1)
- 11
m at 9.1 g/t Au and 99.27 g/t Ag from 1 m
- 7
m at 21.53 g/t Au and 45.6 g/t Ag from 5 m
- 3
m at 2.35 g/t Au and 13.27% Cu from 16 m
(1) All depths are measured from the
floor of the existing pit
La Mancha Resources
Inc. (TSX:LMA), (hereinafter "La Mancha" or "the Company") is pleased to report that the 42
short and long holes drilled from the bottom of the Hadal Awatib pits at the
Hassai property have returned high-grade gold, copper and silver values. Drill
results are shown in Table 1 and 2 appended to this press release. These
preliminary results A) suggest the presence of an enriched supergene zone at
the top of the previously-identified volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) lens
under these pits and B) confirm the presence at depth of a feeder zone adjacent
to the massive sulphide lens. Some drill holes also intersected massive
sulphides with elevated zinc and silver values.
The Hadal Awatib AB and CD
pits are part of the second VMS target being explored on the Hassai property.
As shown in Figure I, attached to this press release, most of the holes in this
phase of the program were drilled from the floor of the existing pits. This
second supergene zone seems to have a lower gold content than the supergene
section identified on the first VMS target (the Hassai pit), but shows
indications of surprisingly high copper grades (1 meter at up to 20.5% Cu) and
silver content (up to 258 g/t Ag). These high grade results coupled with the
width of the Hadal Awatib AB pit suggests that a significant portion of this
enriched zone would be minable by open pit methods. Moreover, the identification
of the stringer zone shown in Figure 2 increases the likelihood of confirming
more high-grade mineralization in the area.
Michel Cuilhe, President
and CEO of La Mancha, noted: "We are delighted by these results, as some
of the intersections obtained from this second enriched zone compare favourably
with some of the world's richest polymetallic deposits. The fact that some of
these high-grade results have been intersected near the bottom of the pit, in
an area where they would be easily minable by open-pit mining methods, adds to
their quality, as this suggests that the exploitation of the two supergene
zones in the early stage of the project could guarantee an early payback on the
investment."
To date, the 75 holes
drilled, totalling 8,504 meters, have allowed La Mancha to begin delineating
two of the six VMS targets identified at the bottom of previously-mined pits at
its Hassai property. While some of these holes were drilled from surface to
intersect the massive sulphide lenses in the primary zone at depth, other holes
were drilled from the floor of the existing pits in an effort to identify an
enriched zone (supergene). The results of this exploration effort have
confirmed the presence of a VMS massive sulphide lens under each of the Hassai and
Hadal Awatib pits, and suggest the presence of an enriched zone at the top of
each of these VMS lenses. The conceptual tonnage and grade of the primary zone
of these first two targets were estimated using a manual polygonal method with
parallel cross-sections spaced at 100 m. This estimate suggests a total
potential to date of 60 million tonnes at 1.15-1.35 g/t Au and 0.9-1.3% Cu. The
two supergene zones identified should add significantly to this.
The Hassai and Hadal Awatib
conceptual estimates of potential tonnes and grade to date have insufficient
exploration to define a mineral resource compliant with National Instrument
43-101. It is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the target
deposit being delineated as a mineral resource. The estimate used the current
geological interpretation of the lens with the intersections of copper and gold
mineralization from the 12 new holes drilled to date and 7 previously-drilled
holes at the Hassai pit and 8 new holes drilled to date and 7 previously-drilled
holes at the Hadal Awatib pit. The estimate excludes copper and gold values
outside the interpreted zones and all lead zinc and silver values, and does not
take into account possible enrichment from the upper part of the lenses, mainly
below the west pit of Hadal Awatib. The estimate also excludes dilution and
recovery.
La Mancha decided to
initiate an exploration program entirely devoted to the VMS potential of its
40%-owned Hassai mine in December 2007 on the basis of historical results of
drilling by BRGM in the 1980s and 1990s. The objective
of the first phase of the program was to test the potential of two of the six
most prospective VMS lenses identified at the bottom of the previously-mined
pits.
The presence of strong
supergene enrichment similar to Hassai at the second target enhances the
potential of this deposit, which is displaying a growing number of similarities
with the Bisha deposit in neighbouring Eritrea.
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
Forty-two holes totalling
3,212 meters were drilled from the floors of the Hadal Awatib AB and CD pits.
More information on these holes is shown in Table 1 and Figure 1, attached to
this press release. The holes were drilled down dip within the lens in the CD
pit and obliquely in the AB pit, as shown in the five cross-sections in the
appendix.
The portion of the VMS
deposit that lies below the Hadal Awatib AB pit comprises a very large massive
sulphide lens with a significant copper-rich stringer zone along the
stratigraphic footwall. The copper stringer zone contains 15-40% sulphides,
including chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), pyrite, magnetite and sphalerite
(ZnS), as well as quartz, chlorite and minor carbonate minerals. The stringer
zone is gradational, with a copper-enriched basal massive sulphide. Both are
present on the inside of the (probable) overturned anticline shown in Section
D-D.
Like at Hassai, three main
types of enrichment have been identified:
- A
gold-enriched, copper-depleted zone close to the floor of the pit;
- A
gold- and copper-enriched zone at depth; and
- Localized
zones of silver and zinc enrichment in addition to good copper and gold
values.
Some additional holes are
currently in progress (see Figure 1) to allow La Mancha to complete a first
43-101 resource calculation, expected to be released in the third quarter of
2009.
It should also be noted
that the area between the AB and CD pits has not yet been drilled as it is
currently being mined, but the enrichment can be expected to continue in this
area (see Figure 1).
"Given the high gold
grades currently being mined from the oxidized zone just above, this unexplored
area should return results similar to those obtained from the enriched zone
below the AB pit," said Jean-Jacques Kachrillo, Vice President Exploration
for La Mancha.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
La Mancha
Martin Amyot
Vice President Corporate Development
514-987-5115
info@lamancha.ca
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
John Boidman: jboidman@renmarkfinancial.com
Maurice Dagenais: mdagenais@renmarkfinancial.com
Media - Fran�ois Tr�panier: ftrepanier@renmarkfinancial.com
Vanessa Napoli: vnapoli@renmarkfinancial.com
Montreal - Tel.: 514 939-3989 / Fax: 514 939-3717
Toronto - Tel.: 416 644-2020 / Fax: 416 644-2021
www.renmarkfinancial.com