Tambor shows potential

Vancouver – Joint venture partners Radius Explorations (RDU-V) and South African-based Gold Fields (GFI-N) continue to table promising results from the La Laguna North and Guapinol South target areas on the Tambor property in central Guatemala.

Last year, the partners drill tested seven targets over the 22-km long mineralized trend, with six of them returning gold values greater than 1 gram per tonne.

At the La Laguna North prospect, drilling hit a steeply dipping, southwest plunging quartz vein with hole 2 returning 8.2 grams gold over 18.3 metres. Testing the down dip extension of the mineralization, hole 15 cut 12.2 grams gold over 18.3 metres. Hole 17 was drilled on the same fence and cut two zones within a 53 metre interval of strong quartz veining and disseminated arsenopyrite yielding 5.6 grams over 3.1 metres and 13.7 metres grading 2.2 grams gold. Mineralization at La Laguna North has now been confirmed over a down-dip interval of 200 metres.

Metallurgical testwork on composited samples from drill cuttings is underway and a follow-up drill program is expected to follow.

Hand trenching at Guapinol South, returned up to 31 grams gold over 10.1 metres and 20.8 grams gold over 8.8 metres. Based on mapping, the potential strike length of the Guapinal South vein system is nearly 2-km. Drilling is expected to begin shortly.

The 1,000 sq. km Tambor properties lie on the south side of the subcontinental scale Motagua Fault system. The area was recognized as prospective in 2000 when Radius geological staff located mesothermal-style gold mineralization associated with a belt of schistose rocks within this suture zone.

In 2001, Gold Fields entered the scene by inking a deal to earn a 55% interest in the project by spending US$5 million over a three-year period. Once vested, Gold Fields can earn a further 15% interest by completing a bankable feasibility study, should Radius elect not to contribute its share of exploration costs. Over the past year, the major has spent US$1.7 million.