LONDON, United Kingdom: Crew Gold Corporation ("Crew" or "the Company") (TSX: CRU) (OSE: CRU) (Frankfurt: KNC) (OTC-BB-Other; CRUGF.PK) today announced:-

 

 

Drilling has been focussed at Firifirini, Lero-Karta-Camp de Base and Fayalala and was a combination of RC and Diamond drilling.  To the end of March 2008, a total of 14,444m of RC drilling and 1,077m of HQ3 Diamond drilling have been completed comprising 120 RC Holes and 15 DDH tails.

 

Drilling down dip and along strike from known mineralisation at Camp de Base has yielded expected results with broad zones of typical Camp de Base style of mineralisation consisting of disseminated and fracture filled pyrite in highly fractured, siliceous Birimian sandstone.  Drilling at depth approaching the sinistral Karta fault has delineated wide dilation zones of gold mineralisation linking up with the Pharmacie structure to the north.  Exploration in this area is ongoing and it is expected the Camp de Base pit will now link up to the Karta pit, significantly improving the economics of this area and may result in these two pits optimising into a single pit.

The geological understanding of the Firifirini deposit skarn mineralization has improved and understanding has highlighted a new focus for exploration going forward across selected areas of the concession.  In October 2007, the Company announced an initial reserve for Firifirini of 0.23 million ounces at 2.25 g/t Au.  The BBC-prefixed holes listed in the following table are some of the intercepts that show the same mineralization style as Firifirini located 4kms west and is hosted in a typical retrograde skarn context developed by a dioritic intrusion forming contact metamorphism with calcareous sediments.  Massive accumulations of magnetite together with lesser pyrite are developed on the contacts with other skarn minerals such as epidote, grossular garnet and diopside.  These sites form localised high concentrations of gold with lower more disseminated grades hosted by the altered carbonate-sandstones, marbles or felsic intrusives.

Selected the intercepts are listed in the table below. The intercepts listed below do not form part of the currently reported resource and are a combination of infill and extensional drilling.

 

Hole_ID	Hole Type	Max Depth (m)	Depth From (m)	Depth To (m)	Intercept * (metres @ grade)
FIRIFIRINI and Surrounding Area
SIRC0349	RC	120	66	73	7m @ 5.54 g/t
SIRC0354	RC	120	11	14	3m @ 3.64 g/t
SIRC0359	RC	120	66	69	3m @ 3.67 g/t
SIRC0382	RC	120	42	47	5m @ 55.78 g/t
SIRC0397	RC	120	57	60	3m @ 3.22 g/t
SIRC0406	RC	100	48	51	3m @ 4.51 g/t
SIRC0519	RC	100	11	14	3m @ 4.52 g/t
BBC0001	RC	100	31	42	11m @ 8.50 g/t
BBC0002	RC	100	11	32	21m @ 4.07 g/t
BBC0018	RC	100	30	36	6m @ 5.00 g/t
BBC0023	RC	100	18	22	4m @ 3.02 g/t
BBC0027	RC	80	17	20	3m @ 9.38 g/t
BBC0034	RC	80	36	49	13m @ 3.40 g/t
BBC0036	RC	80	42	51	9m @ 11.03 g/t
LERO-KARTA
LKCD1146	RCDDH	180	66	87	21m @ 3.73 g/t
LKCD1155	RCDDH	190	96.55	103	6.45m @ 3.15 g/t
LKCD1157	RCDDH	190	119	126	7m @ 3.37 g/t
LKCD1157	RCDDH	215	136	139	3m @ 3.75 g/t
LKCD1157	RCDDH	215	157	160.52	3.52m @ 3.33 g/t
LKCD1163	RCDDH	220	75	81.47	6.47m @ 4.80 g/t
LKCD1166	RCDDH	190	150	155	5m @ 3.70 g/t
LKCD1167	RCDDH	210	157	173	16m @ 7.31 g/t
LKCD1169	RCDDH	180	135	145	10m @ 4.10 g/t
LKCD1170	RCDDH	190	165	169	4m @ 3.38 g/t
LKCD1172	RCDDH	180	195	212	17m @ 3.90 g/t
LKCD1175	RCDDH	220	128.3	139	10.7m @ 4.21 g/t
FAYALALA
FACD1420	RCDDH	150	42	55	13m @ 3.35 g/t
FACD1420	RCDDH	150	113.62	118	4.38m @ 24.05 g/t

Crew is also pleased to report further encouraging results from the ongoing regional program. This program has focused in the areas surrounding the LEFA corridor specifically to the north in the Siguirini area, to the southeast on the prospects of Sikasso, Goldring, and Dar Saalam and in the corridor between the known deposits of Lero Karta and Banora.  To the end of March 2008, a total of 36,143m of Aircore (AC) drilling has been completed comprising 452 AC holes. The prospects are shown on the attached map of the LEFA Concession and exploration titles.

In the Siguirini area near the Firifirini deposit, a new prospect, Toume Toume has been identified and which is hosted in a retrograde skarn context similar to that at Firifirini.

At Dar Salaam, four mineralized structures have been delineated by Air Core drilling. Further drilling is planned using both RC and Diamond methods to further test this mineralization.

In the corridor between Lero Karta and Banora, regional exploration has delineated further targets. The Tombakansa target corresponds to a succession of small altered quartz veined structures in a shear zone along strike to the west from the LEFA corridor.

Also in this corridor is the prospect of Hansaghere, an 800 m length mineralized structure, orientated N110??E and dipping south with parallel quartz veining. The structure is still open along strike and down dip.

The Fello Antigou prospect contains old workings and is hosted by Birimian sandstones.

Diguili North continues to give promising results. Drilling has extended the target at depth to the east and to the south east. Furthermore at Diguili Bougoufe, a small mineralized structure has been identified consisting of a north-east orientation with a southerly dip and is now ready to be tested by RC drilling.

The Banora West prospect is hosted in a narrow shear zone, with a southeast orientation located 2 km to the northwest of the Banora deposit.

Selected Results are listed below

Hole_ID	Hole Type	Max Depth (m)	Depth From (m)	Depth To (m)	Intercept * (metres @ grade)	Location
TBR0111	AC	90	38	42	4m @ 1.62 g/t	Tombakansa
TBR0117	AC	90	50	54	4m @ 1.96 g/t	Tombakansa
TBR0135	AC	120	92	96	4m @ 2.73 g/t	Tombakansa
TBR0111	AC	90	38	42	4m @ 1.62 g/t	Tombakansa
TBR0117	AC	80	50	54	4m @ 1.96 g/t	Tombakansa
TBR0135	AC	120	92	96	4m @ 2.73 g/t	Tombakansa
HSR0059	AC	90	18	22	4m @ 1.40 g/t	Hansaghere
FER0021	AC	90	6	12	6m @ 2.34 g/t	Fello Antigou
FER0044	AC	90	14	24	10m @ 4.11 g/t	Fello Antigou
BNR0460	AC	90	44	48	4m @ 4.53 g/t	Banora West
BNR0461	AC	90	14	18	4m @ 2.91 g/t	Banora West
BNR0465	AC	90	76	83	7m @ 2.45 g/t	Banora West
BNR0466	AC	90	8	20	12m @ 1.80 g/t	Banora West
BNR0466	AC	90	28	36	8m @ 3.10 g/t	Banora West
BNR0469	AC	90	74	83	11m @ 2.23 g/t	Banora West
BNR0470	AC	90	12	20	8m @ 0.94 g/t	Banora West
BNR0470	AC	90	38	68	30m @ 1.1 g/t	Banora West
BNR0480	AC	90	22	26	4m @ 1.35 g/t	Banora West
DNR0081	AC	120	106	110	4m @ 2.03 g/t	Diguili North
DNR0108	AC	120	42	46	4m @ 3.24 g/t	Diguili North
DNR0111	AC	120	74	78	4m @ 1.18 g/t	Diguili North
DNR0112	AC	120	4	12	8m @ 1.10 g/t	Diguili North
DNR0114	AC	120	78	84	6m @ 2.50 g/t	Diguili North
DNR0135	AC	120	28	34	6m @ 2.24 g/t	Diguili North
DNR0136	AC	120	98	102	4m @ 2.83 g/t	Diguili North
DBR0361	AC	120	40	59	19m @ 2.06 g/t	Diguili Bougoufe
DBR0362	AC	120	12	32	20m @ 1.31 g/t	Diguili Bougoufe
DSR0240	AC	120	46	50	4m @ 3.63 g/t	Dar Saalam
DSR0241	AC	120	8	14	6m @ 3.17 g/t	Dar Saalam
DSR0248	AC	120	28	44	16m @ 1.40 g/t	Dar Saalam
GRR0094	AC	120	18	34	16m @ 6.48 g/t	Goldring
GRR0094	AC	120	46	54	8m @ 1.79 g/t	Goldring
GRR0111	AC	120	114	118	4m @ 1.30 g/t	Goldring

 

Commenting on these latest results, Jan Vestrum President and CEO of Crew commented, These drilling results continue to demonstrate not only the potential to add resources and reserves on a consistent and fast growing manner, but to do so at higher grades than the current Measured and Indicated resource grade of 1.6g/t Au for the LEFA Gold Mine.  Improved grade has been a focus as this is important not only for the overall output from the mine, but a main contributor to lower cash costs The Company is confident that a major part of its future resource growth will come from the LEFA concession and this, together with the ramp-up of production from the CIP plant, will be important value drivers for shareholders."

 

This news release contains forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management and the board of directors, and are made pursuant to applicable and relevant national legislation (including the Safe-Harbour provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) in countries where Crew Gold Corporation is conducting business and/or investor relations. Forward looking statements typically contain words such as "believes", "anticipates", "continue", "could", "expects", "indicates", "plans", "will", "may", "projects", "would" or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs of management and the board of directors based on information currently available to them. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and Crew cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause Crew's actual results to differ materially from the beliefs and expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Crew's Annual Information Form dated April 2, 2007, as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management and the board of directors believes to be current and reasonable assumptions, Crew cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements.  The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Crew undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.