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Aura Minerals Inc. ("Aura Minerals" or the
"Company") (TSX:ORA
- News) is pleased to
release an additional 20 drill holes from the ongoing infill and extension
drilling program at its wholly-owned copper-gold-silver Aranzazu
Mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. These results consist of assays from
drilling, which targeted the following:
-- zones southeast along strike
from the Glory Hole Zone to the Cabrestante
Zone;
-- deeper drilling to further
test for down-dip extensions; and
-- the new Zona-CC
to the south of the Cabrestante Zone.
Assay results from additional drill holes targeting Zona-CC are also pending. Zona-CC
has not been included in any resource calculation to date.
Of the 18 reported drill holes, 14 have intercepts of greater than
1.0% copper with significant gold and silver values. Holes AZC-101, AZC-102
and AZC-128, highlighted below, targeted deeper down-dip extensions of known
mineralization.
Hole AZC-219 from Zona-CC
is a follow-up to the first reported intersection from drill hole AZC-179
from this zone (see News Release no. 2010-24 dated November 22, 2010), which
returned 45.0 metres of 1.05% Cu, 0.86 g/t Au and
28.83 g/t Ag. This new hole highlights the possible high-grade nature of Zona-CC and the potential for this zone to grow the
overall resource base at the Aranzazu Mine.
Highlights include (see Table 1 and Maps 1 and 2: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/ora29.pdf):
- Hole AZC-101, which returned 12.0 metres
of 3.72% Cu, 1.33 g/t Au and 51.30 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-102, which returned 54.0 metres
of 2.80% Cu, 0.62 g/t Au and 12.50 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-103, which returned 18.0 metres
of 2.26% Cu, 3.27 g/t Au and 29.00 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-108, which returned 19.5 metres
of 2.20% Cu, 4.57 g/t Au and 24.70 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-111, which returned 7.6 metres of
1.13% Cu, 1.22 g/t Au and 15.00 g/t Ag and 15.0 metres
of 1.10% Cu, 0.92 g/t Au and 9.80 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-128, which returned 24.0 metres
of 1.21% Cu, 0.97 g/t Au and 12.00 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-133, which returned 12.0 metres of
1.70% Cu, 1.39 g/t Au and 18.50 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-214, which returned 24.4 metres
of 1.66% Cu, 1.25 g/t Au and 27.80 g/t Ag; and
- Zona CC Hole AZC-219, which returned 13.7 metres of 1.53% Cu, 0.66 g/t Au and 47.40 g/t Ag.
One rig continues to drill along strike, with a focus on the area from
the Glory Hole Zone to Zona-CC.
Additional results from the deep drill program are pending and are
expected to be released later this quarter.
Commenting on these results, Mr. Patrick Downey, President and CEO of
Aura Minerals, stated, "We continue to receive exceptional drill
intercepts at the Aranzazu Mine. We are now
expanding the resource along strike and at depth. Zona-CC
was discovered late in 2010 and we continue to believe that further drilling
on this zone could add significant high-grade tonnes
to the resource and this area is wide open to another new zone called the
Esperanza target. These zones will likely form part of our plans for project
expansion as they are along strike and could likely be accessed by a new adit from the open pit which is currently being
mined."
Table 1 - Aranzazu Assays (see Maps 1 and 2:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/ora29.pdf)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inter-
Azim-
val Cu
uth Dip From To (1) (2)
(degr- (degr- (met- (met- (met- (4) Au (3) Ag (4)
Hole # East North ees) ees) res) res) res) (%) (g/t) (g/t)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-101 253964 2724234
213 -62 283.5 286.5 3.0 1.80 0.75 13.30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-101 253964 2724234
213 -62 318.0 330.0 12.0 3.72 1.33 51.30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-102 253902 2724277
212 -61 114.0 117.0 3.0 1.48 0.11 13.70
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-102 253902 2724277
212 -61 294.0 348.0 54.0 2.80 0.62 12.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-103 254098 2724110
208 -62 45.0 51.0 6.0 0.73 0.16 17.90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-103 254098 2724110
208 -62 202.5 220.5 18.0 2.26 3.27 29.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-105 253902 2724277
212 -67 319.5 324.0 4.5 0.56 0.27 7.30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-105 253902 2724277
212 -67 336.0 340.5 4.5 0.53 0.29 6.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-105 253902 2724277
212 -67 364.5 369.0 4.5 0.81 0.49 17.30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-106 254097 2724110
210 -54 177.0 184.5 7.5 1.16 0.98 11.20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-108 254119 2724203
211 -46 246.0 255.0 9.0 0.93 1.28 14.90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-108 254119 2724203
211 -46 274.5 294.0 19.5 2.20 4.57 24.70
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-109 254073 2724113
210 -48 46.5 63.0 16.5 0.88 0.21 2.60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-109 254073 2724113
210 -48 79.5 96.0 16.5 0.96 0.24 5.70
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-109 254073 2724113
210 -48 130.5 136.5 6.0 1.72 1.78 20.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-111 254073 2724114
207 -58 52.5 64.5 12.0 0.81 0.11 2.20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-111 254073 2724114
207 -58 155.9 163.5 7.6 1.13 1.22 15.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-111 254073 2724114
207 -58 175.5 190.5 15.0 1.10 0.92 9.80
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-128 254239 2724156
208 -46 183.0 201.0 18.0 0.66 0.44 23.70
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-128 254239 2724156
208 -46 280.5 304.5 24.0 1.21 0.97 12.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-128 254239 2724156
208 -46 310.5 316.5 6.0 0.95 1.49 13.20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZC-133 254262 2724148
211 -45 282.0 294.0 12.0 1.70 1.39 18.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-210 254513 2723838
31 -55 0.0 6.1 6.1
1.40 0.60 6.60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-210 254513 2723838
31 -55 65.5 71.6 6.1 0.73 0.73 42.90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-211 254547 2723844
30 -56 0.0 4.6 4.6
0.94 0.10 3.40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-214 254181 2724009
210 -45 68.6 93.0 24.4 1.66 1.25 27.80
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-215 254181 2724010
208 -59 10.7 19.8 9.1 0.61 1.76 9.30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-215 254181 2724010
208 -59 85.3 88.4 3.1 0.68 0.77 14.80
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-215 254181 2724010
208 -59 137.2 147.8 10.7 0.56 0.21 6.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-216 254155 2724020
210 -54 73.2 85.3 12.2 0.80 0.65 13.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-217 254155 2724021
211 -65 6.1 9.1 3.0 0.56 0.38 7.40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-217 254155 2724021
211 -65 93.0 100.6 7.6 0.54 0.53 7.90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-217 254155 2724021
211 -65 106.7 114.3 7.6 1.09 1.26 24.60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
UAZ-029 253706 2724143
220 -66 39.0 48.0 9.0 0.83 0.27 15.90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
UAZ-029 253706 2724143
220 -66 99.0 105.0 6.0 1.84 0.49 17.20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
UAZ-030 253706 2724143
220 -73 58.5 61.5 3.0 1.28 0.25 13.30
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zona-CC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-219 254652 2723289
351 -74 91.4 105.2 13.70 1.53 0.66 47.40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZR-224 254592 2723213
350 -83 198.1 202.7 4.60 0.61 0.31 16.90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) true width has yet to be
determined
(2) using a copper cutoff grade
0.5%
(3) fire assay and atomic
absorption finish
(4) ICP-MS
Qualified Person
Exploration at the Aranzazu Mine is being
conducted under the supervision of Mr. Alan Hitchborn,
P.Geo.,
who is the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument
43-101. Mr. Hitchborn has also reviewed and
approved the contents of this news release as applicable.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control ("QA/QC") Procedures
for the Aranzazu Mine
Aura Minerals is presently drilling at the Aranzazu
Mine utilizing both core and reverse circulation drill rigs. The drilling is
conducted by Layne de Mexico. The reverse circulation drill uses a bit sized
from 5.5 inches to 4.75 inches. The core program utilizes HQ-sized core and
then stepping down to NQ-sized core as required. Samples are collected on a
1.5 metre sample interval. The reverse circulation
drill cuttings are split at the drill rig. The samples collected consist of
an approximate 25% split of the total material recovered from the interval
sampled. This material is shipped directly to the Stewart Group de Mexico
("Stewart Mexico") sample preparation facility in Zacatecas, Mexico
and processed utilizing the same sample preparation protocol as used for the
core samples discussed below. Assays are completed at the ISO 9001-2008
certified Eco Tech Laboratory Limited ("Eco Tech Stewart"), a
subsidiary of the Stewart Group Ltd., in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
Diamond drilling core is logged, photographed and then split in half using a
diamond core saw. Half the core is retained off-site in a secure storage
facility and the other half is sampled, secured in sealed, labeled bags and
then transported to the Stewart Mexico facility in Zacatecas, Mexico and
processed utilizing the same preparation protocol discussed below. Assays are
completed at the Eco Tech Stewart laboratory in Kamloops, B.C. The entire
half-core and reverse circulation drill cuttings are crushed to 95% passing 2
millimetres, split and pulverized to 95% passing
150 mesh, split again, and a 150 gram sample sent for assay. Gold assays are
determined by fire assay with an AA finish, over limit assays are determined
by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver, copper, lead and zinc assays
are determined by a four acid digestion with an ICP-MS finish. Molybdenum
assays are determined by aqua regia digestion
followed by an ICP-OES finish. Silver overlimits
are determined by a fire assay with a gravimetric finish. The Company
systematically inserts certified standard samples, sample duplicates in a
non-sequential order and blank samples in all batches of samples sent to
Stewart Mexico and Eco Tech Stewart as a means of quality control.
Additionally, Stewart Mexico and Eco Tech Stewart have their own stringent
internal QA/QC protocols. Check samples are systematically sent to the ALS Chemex lab in Vancouver, Canada. Chain of custody of
drill samples is maintained throughout the process with the use of numbered
seal tags closing sample bags and third party professional transportation of
samples to the laboratories. Each stage of sample handling is recorded in log
sheets and receipts obtained from each party involved.
About Aura Minerals Inc.
Aura Minerals is a Canadian mid-tier gold production company focused
on the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of gold and base
metal projects in the Americas. The Company's producing assets includes the
San Andres gold mine in Honduras, the Sao Francisco and Sao Vicente gold
mines in Brazil and the copper-gold-silver Aranzazu
Mine in Zacatecas state in Mexico, which commenced commercial production on
February 1, 2011. Other significant assets include the feasibility-stage Serrote Deposit at the copper-gold-iron ore Arapiraca Project in Brazil.
For further information, please visit Aura Minerals' web site at
www.auraminerals.com.
Cautionary Statement:
This news release contains forward-looking statements that are not
historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and
other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and
opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from these forward-looking statements include those risks set out
in Aura Minerals' public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Although Aura Minerals believes that the assumptions and factors used in
preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance
should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of
this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur
in the disclosed time frames or at all. Aura Minerals disclaims any intention
or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority
has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
Contact:
Patrick Downey
Aura Minerals Inc.
President & Chief Executive Officer
(604) 669-4777
(604) 696-0212 (FAX)
info@auraminerals.com
www.auraminerals.com
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