VENTANA ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL LA MASCOTA DRILL RESULTS
52.2 METRES OF 6.1 GRAMS PER TONNE GOLD
Vancouver, B.C., July 16, 2009 �Ventana Gold Corp. (TSX: VEN) (Ventana or the Company) is pleased to provide additional drill results
from its ongoing 2009 drill program. The Company currently has five core drills
operating and a sixth drill is scheduled to arrive early next week. The drill
program is focused on testing the down-dip and strike extensions of the
high-grade La Mascota mineralized zone on its flagship La Bodega gold property
in Colombia. With the addition of more drills, the Company is also conducting
in-fill drilling at La Mascota for resource definition purposes.
Gold assay results with completed QA/QC verification
have been compiled for drill holes 111A, 114 and 115. Select drill hole
intercepts are reported below:
DRILL
HOLE NO.
|
FROM (metres)
|
TO (metres)
|
INTERVAL (metres)
|
Au (grams/tonne)
|
La
Mascota Zone
|
DDH-09-LB-114
and
|
275.30
360.50
|
327.50
372.00
|
52.20
11.50
|
6.10
7.42
|
DDH-09-LB-115
and
and
includes
also includes
|
67.00
153.00
237.75
244.75
261.80
|
69.20
158.00
268.30
248.50
266.00
|
2.20
5.00
30.55
3.75
4.20
|
10.18
16.72
7.79
25.11
21.32
|
Drill intercepts are based on a 0.5 gram per tonne
gold cut-off with no upper cut. Drill intercept lengths are down-hole lengths
reflecting apparent widths of mineralization with true widths ranging between
50% -70% of the reported down-hole lengths.
Prior to the current drilling program, the
northeast-trending La Mascota mineralization had been defined along 725 metres
of strike length, to a depth of 100 metres down-dip, with estimated true
composite widths of 20 to 80 metres, remaining open for expansion in all
directions. Drill holes 106 through 110 and 112, reported on in prior press
releases, confirmed that the La Mascota mineralization continues to at least
250 metres down-dip and discovered additional mineralized structures situated
in the footwall of the main zone. Drill holes 111A, 114 and 115, reported on
here, were also drilled to test the down-dip extension of mineralization and
have confirmed that potentially economic grades and widths extend to at least
250 metres down-dip over a tested strike length thus far of 700 metres. Hole
114 was drilled at the far southwest end of La Mascota and intercepted a broad
interval of silicified gneiss with hydrothermal breccias hosting two higher
grade intervals and indicates that mineralization in that area extends to
greater than 400 metres down-dip.
The 2009 drill program is part of Ventana�s ongoing
gold exploration program in the California-Vetas gold mining district of
northeast Colombia, where the Company controls mineral rights to 4,573
hectares. Ventana�s exploration activities and all drilling to date have been
concentrated on its flagship 185–hectare La Bodega property. Recent property
acquisitions have consolidated a land position that provides an additional
1,300 metres of potential strike length to extend the La Mascota zone to the southwest.
A drill hole location map and a complete listing of
drill intercepts from the first 115 holes are available at http://www.ventanagold.com/.
Gold mineralization at the La Bodega property is
hosted within a broad, northeast-trending fault zone which occurs as a series
of north-northwest-dipping parallel-sheeted vein zones, breccias and
mineralized faults situated within an envelope of pervasively phyllic altered
and variably silicified gneiss and intrusive rocks.
La Mascota Drill Results
Drill hole 111A was drilled from the far northeast
sector of La Mascota. It was drilled at a -85 degree angle in a due south
direction to test the down-dip extension of mineralization previously
encountered in hole 42 (61.6 metres of 2.15 grams per tonne gold and 5.5 metres
of 8.63 grams per tonne gold). It cut through six mineralized intervals ranging
from 2.5 to 8.0 metres in drilled length, with the best of these including 7.0
metres of 5.84 grams per tonne gold (including 2.0 metres of 18.94 grams per
tonne gold) starting at 211.0 metres drilled depth, and 8.0 metres of 4.09
grams per tonne gold starting at 298.0 metres drilled depth. Drill hole 111A
indicates the mineralization in this area extends to at least 250 metres
down-dip
Drill hole 114 was drilled at the far southwest sector
of La Mascota. It was drilled at a -85 degree angle in a due south direction to
test the down-dip extension of mineralization previously encountered in holes
100 (57.4 metres of 8.66 grams per tonne gold) and 112 (94.5 metres of 5.83
grams per tonne gold). Hole 114 cut through a broad zone (249.2 metres of 2.52
grams per tonne gold) of silicified gneiss with numerous cross-cutting
hydrothermal breccias up to six metres wide with the best intercepts within
this broad zone of 52.2 metres of 6.10 grams per tonne gold starting at 275.3
metres drilled depth and 11.5 metres of 7.52 grams per tonne gold starting at
360.50 metres drilled depth. Drill hole 114 was drilled to a total depth of
566.2 metres and indicates that the down-dip extent of mineralization in this
area reaches to at least 400 metres.
Drill hole 115 was drilled in the central sector of La
Mascota as a vertical hole to test the down-dip extension of mineralization
previously encountered in holes 4 (47 metres of 7.04 grams per tonne gold) and
5 (28 metres of 2.69 grams per tonne gold). It cut through 12 mineralized
intervals ranging from 1.8 to 30.55 metres in drilled length with the best of
these including 5.0 metres of 16.72 grams per tonne gold starting at 153.0
metres drilled depth and 30.55 metres of 7.79 grams per tonne gold starting at
237.8 metres drilled depth. Drill hole 115 was drilled to a total depth of
362.4 metres and indicates that the down-dip extent of mineralization in this
area extends to at least 225 metres.
Review by Qualified Person, Quality Control and
Reports
Results of the Company�s drilling program have been
reviewed, verified, and compiled by Ventana�s VP of Exploration Jon Lehmann,
L.P.G., a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 (NI
43-101). Mr. Lehmann has over 25 years of mineral exploration experience, is a
Licensed Professional Geologist in the state of Washington and a member in good
standing of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
To ensure reliable sample results Ventana has a
rigorous QA/QC program in place that monitors the chain-of-custody of samples
and includes the insertion of blanks, duplicates, and certified reference
standards in each batch of samples. Core is photographed and sawed in half with
one half retained in a secured facility for verification purposes. Sample
preparation (crushing and pulverizing) is performed at an independent local
laboratory established by a joint effort between the regional environmental permitting
agency (CDMB) and the German Geological Survey, and at the Colombian
preparation laboratory of Inspectorate Laboratories, a worldwide ISO 9001:2001
certified laboratory. Prepared samples are direct-shipped to ACME Analytical
Laboratories in Vancouver, B.C., an ISO 9001:2000 certified laboratory, for
analysis. Pulp splits of mineralized intervals are re-assayed at an independent
referee laboratory, Inspectorate America Corp. in Reno, Nevada.
Updated, independent NI 43-101 technical reports were
prepared in June 2008 by EurGeol Miller O�Prey, PGeo, for the La Bodega
property and the nearby California-Vetas property to provide a current review
of exploration activities.
About Ventana
Ventana is a Vancouver-based mineral exploration and
development company with mineral rights to 4,573 hectares of exploration
property in northeastern Colombia. Ventana is currently drilling at the La
Bodega property with a focus on expanding the high-grade La Mascota zone. The
Company�s shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol VEN.
Forward-looking Statements
The statements that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such
risks and uncertainties include those described from time to time in Ventana�s
latest quarterly report and management discussion and analysis. Ventana assumes
no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
For additional information please visit http://www.ventanagold.com/ or contact:
Meghan Brown, Investor Relations Manager
tel (604) 638 2002
email mbrown@ventanagold.com
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