Drilling heats up at Phuoc Son

Vancouver — Drill results from the Bai Go portion of the Phuoc Son gold property in Vietnam have expanded the high-grade core of the mineralization for partners Olympus Pacific Minerals (OYM-V), Ivanhoe Mines (IVN-T) and New Zealand-based Zedex.

Earlier this year, stepout drilling from the high-grade shoot failed to return corresponding bonanza gold grades, prompting crews to return to the core of the mineralization.

Recently drilled hole 80 cut five narrow zones ranging up to 2.83 grams gold per tonne over 3.2 metres, from a down-hole depth of 173 metres. Hole 81 intersected six mineralized zones, including an impressive 11 grams gold over 10.5 metres, from 113 metres down-hole.

Mineralization at the prospect is associated with multiple quartz veins that measure up to 44 metres in true thickness in the Dak Sa shear zone. To date, 28 holes have tested Bai Go.

Moving 3 km north-northeast of Bai Go, the drill crew has begun to sink three holes into the Bo sector, where a shear zone was identified over a 600-by-25-metre area.

Olympus began exploring the property in October 1998, and has a a 57.2% interest; Ivanhoe holds a 32.8% stake, with 10% held by Zedex.