Avnel Gold Announces Exceptional Soil Geochemistry Results at its Fougadian Exploration Permit, South Mali
Soil Geochemistry Program Produces Several Km-Scale,
Significant Gold-in-Soil Anomalies and coincident Arsenic Anomalies
July 18, 2007 - Avnel Gold Mining Ltd. (AVK: TSX) is pleased to announce that a recent phase of detailed soil geochemical surveys, initiated across its large Fougadian Exploration Permit in 2006 and 2007, has outlined several km-scale, gold-in-soil anomalies and coincident arsenic anomalies.
The numerous significant gold and arsenic anomalous clusters that have been delineated (fig. 1) were grouped into 14 anomalies (Avnel-1 to Avnel‑14). It was observed that these 14 gold anomalies fall along three major mineralised corridors. Two of these corridors are sub-parallel, strike approximately N‑S and can be traced nearly continuously through the length of the property. The third corridor strikes NNE-SSW and passes through the south-eastern and north-eastern quadrants of the licence.
The Avnel-1 anomaly is the largest and the most important in terms of gold and arsenic values (fig. 2). It extends for almost 4 kilometers in a N-S direction and for 1.5 kilometers in an E-W direction. The highest gold-in-soil values of the Avnel-1 anomaly show a preferential NNW-SSE direction and they are contained in three parallel linear bands. The same preferential direction can be seen in the highest arsenic values. The Avnel-1 anomaly is also characterised by coincident potassium and copper anomalism.
Other significant km-scale gold anomalies have been delineated within the Fougadian Permit. Among them, the most important in terms of potential are Avnel-5, Avnel-6, Avnel-7, Avnel-8, Avnel-2 and Avnel-3 (fig. 1).
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The presence of definable 'corridors', +20km in length, characterised by linearly disposed anomalous concentrations of gold, arsenic, potassium and copper that cross the permit north to south indicate the probable presence of significant faults that have focused hydrothermal fluid flow through the crust at the western margin of the regional-scale volcaniclastic-sedimentary basin (Bougouni Basin).
The anomalies present in the western N-S mineralised corridor (Avnel-5 to 10) are located close to the lithological contact between a batholith-sized granitoid body to the west and the Birimian metasediments to the east. Their position within a possible thermal-structural aureole is reminiscent of the depositional site at the +6Moz Morila Deposit (i.e., Thermal Aureole Gold systems associated with contact metamorphic deposits).
The anomalies present in the central N-S mineralised corridor and the anomalies present in the eastern NNE-SSW mineralised corridor may be more related to quartz vein type deposits such as the Kalana Deposit (i.e., distinct linear bands of high gold values are observed within the main anomalies of the central and eastern N-S mineralised corridors). Artisanal mining sites exposing quartz vein fragments are a significant feature of the more important gold anomalies in these mineralised corridors.
A follow-up field exploration programme has been recommended in order to evaluate the potential of the numerous significant gold anomalies in the Fougadian Permit. This programme may include initial IP ground geophysical surveys and will include RC drill campaigns.
Field activities of the Phase I soil geochemistry exploration programme were accomplished in three different periods from March 2006 to May 2007. A total of 8,241 soil samples (including 468 controls) were collected along E-W oriented lines spaced 200 meters apart (N-S), with a sample spacing of 50 meters in an E-W direction. All samples were analysed for gold (fire assay) and for a 35 multi-element suite (ICP-AES) that includes arsenic, copper and potassium. Parallel to the sampling programme, three other studies have been initiated: an inventory of the orpaillage sites present within the permit (26 orpaillage sites have been inventoried in the Fougadian Permit totalling approximately 12,400 pits, and
six sites among them contain more than 1,000 pits); a regolith study; and an interpretation of the SYSMIN airborne geophysical survey.
The soil sampling program was planned and supervised in the field by Michel Mercier (a "Qualified Person" in accordance with National Instrument 43-101), who is a consulting geochemist and exploration geologist with more than 20 years of experience in West Africa.
The Fougadian Permit was awarded to Avnel Mali, a 100% owned subsidiary of Avnel Gold Mining Ltd. Avnel has a 90% interest and the Malian State a 10% interest in the permit. The Fougadian Exploration Permit, which covers 150 square kilometers, was awarded to Avnel in 2006 in accordance with the 1999 Mining Code. It is located in southern Mali, immediately south of the producing Kalana Mine and Exploitation Permit, along the western margin of the Bougouni Basin. The permit is underlain by sedimentary rocks of the lower part of the Upper Birimian Group which
have been metamorphosed to greenschist facies and intruded by syntectonic granitoids.
ON BEHALF
AVNEL GOLD MINING LTD.
Roy Meade
Chief Executive Officer
Avnel Gold Mining Ltd.
UK Representative Office
39 Cheval Place
London, SW7 1EW
Phone +44 207 589 9082, FAX+44 207 589 8507
Website: www.avnelgold.com
Email: rmeade@avnelgold.com
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Barry Mire : bmire@renmarkfinancial.com
Maurice Dagenais : mdagenais@renmarkfinancial.com
Tel. : (514) 939-3989
Fax : (514) 939-3717
www.renmarkfinancial.com
Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements:
Statements regarding the corporation's plans with respect to the exploration of the Fougadian Permit are forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the exploration program on the Fougadian Permit will identify minerals resources.
THE TSX HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE FORM OR CONTENT OF THIS INFORMATION RELEASE.
