Jan 6 2011
Loncor Resources Inc. (TSX-V: "LN") has announced results for a further three drill holes at the Company's Makapela prospect, and one additional drill hole at its Yindi prospect, Ngayu Gold Project, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Exploration at Makapela is focusing on a quartz vein system being exploited by artisanal miners in three large pits (Main, North and Sele Sele) which are each between 170 metres and 290 metres in length, located along a strike of 2.2 kilometres. Soil geochemical results indicate that the mineralization continues between these three artisanal workings under a thick soil cover. The smaller Bamako pit is located on a separate soil anomaly to the south with a strike of 1.5 kilometres; the Company believes that the Bamako pit is probably exploiting the same vein system which has been displaced by faulting.
The principal, subvertical quartz vein is 3 to 6 metres in true thickness and is located at the contact between basic lavas and a sequence of tuffs and lavas which appear to be more intermediate in composition. Thin units of banded iron formation locally occur immediately above or below the quartz vein. It is possible that the vein represents a remobilized, metamorphosed siliceous exhalite unit.
Five drill holes have been completed at Makapela and all holes intersected the quartz vein at vertical depths of between 26 metres and 77 metres below surface. The holes were inclined at between minus 50 degrees and minus 77 degrees, and averaged 123 metres in depth with a maximum downhole depth of 173 metres. Core recovery averaged 92% within the mineralized vein.
Results for the first two holes at Makapela were reported in the Company's press release of December 21, 2010. The high grade intersection in NMDD005 (7.19 metres grading 64.0 g/t Au) contained significant amounts of visible gold, and the samples from this intersection were therefore re-run using the screen fire assay technique to reduce possible nugget effects due to coarse gold. The screen fire assays show a very good correlation with the standard fire assay results, averaging 7.19 metres grading 62.90 g/t Au.
Commenting on the latest drilling results from Ngayu, Peter Cowley, President and C.E.O. of the Company, said: "The drilling results at Makapela continue to be encouraging with the final hole of last year intersecting "bonanza grades". These drilling results, together with the surface channel samples and a 3.0 kilometre soil geochemical anomaly linking the four currently known artisanal sites, indicate the potential for a sizeable mineral resource at Makapela. The goal of our drilling campaign at Makapela for 2011 is to demonstrate continuity along strike and at depth and to begin delineating the mineral resource.
"We are also pleased with the latest drill hole at our Yindi prospect, which is the best hole drilled to date there in terms of width and grade."
Drill cores for assaying were taken at a maximum of one metre intervals and were cut with a diamond saw with one-half of the core placed in sealed bags by Company geologists and sent to the SGS Laboratory (which is independent of the Company) in Mwanza, Tanzania. The core samples were then crushed down to minus 2 mm, and split with one half of the sample pulverized down to 90% passing 75 microns. Gold analyses were carried out on 50 g aliquots by fire assay. The samples from NMDD005 were also analyzed by the screen fire assay method, with 300 g to 500 g of pulverized powder sieved at 75 microns, and separate fire assays carried out on the oversize and undersize fractions. The gold values are uncut. Internationally recognized standards and blanks were inserted as part of the Company's internal QA/QC analytical procedures.
Qualified Person
The exploration results disclosed in this press release have been reviewed, verified (including sampling, analytical and test data) and compiled by the Company's geological staff based in Beni, DRC, under the supervision of Dr. Howard Fall (Aus.I.M.M), the Company's Exploration Manager and a "qualified person" (as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101).