Southwestern samples Boka

Vancouver — Southwestern Resources has tabled further tunnel assay results from the Boka 1 North and South at its Boka gold project in the Yunnan Province of China.

The tunnels sampled are situated at about right angles to the long axis of the stratabound gold zone. Southwestern is currently performing a systematic surveying and sampling program together with an initial two-rig drill program. To date, 134 tunnels have been surveyed.

The Boka 1 target represents the largest of 10 known gold prospects hosted in weakly metamorphosed Proterozoic-aged carbonaceous and calcareous sediments. The prospects lie within a 25 km-long system of ductile-brittle shear zones that are associated with thrust faults. Gold mineralization is related to quartz-pyrite replacement along bedding and foliation planes as well as in breccias.

The company reports that it has discovered a new area of tunneling located 1.2 km northwest of the Boka 1 gold zone. These new tunnels were excavated along an east-west trending ridge. Southwestern has dubbed the area Boka 11. The style of alteration, mineralization and host rocks is reported to be identical to the zone located at Boka 1. Mineralization in these tunnels is hosted by brecciated and fractured carbonaceous shales and associated with quartz and heavily oxidized sulfides. The tunnels have been excavated about 500 metres down dip.

In addition, soil sampling in the area between the Boka 11 and Boka 1 tunnels has revealed a continuous geochemical gold anomaly. Southwestern intends to drill this area to determine if the two zones are a continuous mineralized horizon. As a result the initial 2,000 metre drill program has been expanded to 5,000 metres. Drilling is currently focused in the Boka 1 North area. A third drill rig is expected to be mobilized in mid-January.

Highlights of assay results from further tunnels sampled at Boka 1 follow:

• Tunnel PD-57 returned a 15 metre chip sample that averaged 38.5 grams gold and 9.7 grams silver per tonne.
• Chip sampling in tunnel MTC-02 ranged from 0.3 gram gold and 0.3 gram silver over 7 metres to 9.5 grams gold and 0.8 grams silver over 2.0 metres.
• Sampling in tunnel PD-71 ranged from 0.03 gram gold and 0.1 gram silver over 2 metres to 23.8 grams gold and 4.1 grams silver over two metres. The longest sample in this tunnel measured 4 metres and averaged 11.0 grams gold and 1.0 grams silver.
• Sampling in tunnel MG-01 ranged from 1.1 grams gold and 0.8 gram silver over 2 metres to 190.5 grams gold and 71.1 grams silver over two metres.
• Assays in tunnel XG-13-B ranged from 0.04 gram godd and 0.2 gram silver over 2 metres to 18.7 grams gold and 9.4 grams silver over 2 metres.
• The best samples in tunnel PD-2 averaged 22.4 grams gold and 4.4 grams silver over 2.3 metres and 16.4 grams gold and 2.4 grams silver over 3.0 metres.
• Assays in tunnel PD-3 ranged from 0.1 gram gold and 0.2 gram silver over 3.0 metres to 24.9 grams gold and 2.3 grams silver over 2.0 metres.

Southwestern states that tunnel surveying and sampling is still underway about 100 metres south of Boka 1 South where another group of tunnels has been discovered. Assays are still pending.

The company is using panel sampling techniques in the tunnels. Individual panel samples are comprised of composite channels excavated from the top right to bottom left, top left to bottom right, top to bottom in the middle of the panel and from left to right through the middle of the panel.

Five new exploration tunnels are also being excavated in both the Boka 1 North and Boka 1 South areas. The exploration tunnels have average dimensions of 2.2 metres high by 2 metres wide. Southwestern plans to use the tunnels for future underground drilling.

Southwestern can acquire a 90% interest in the 99-sq.-km property by spending US$4 million over the next four years and paying US$1.7 million in the final year. China Yunnan Province Nuclear Industry Team 209 retains a 10% carried interest.

The junior explorer also has exploration rights to 560 sq. km of surrounding ground.