India Resources commences drilling new targets

Diversified minerals developer, India Resources has commenced drilling on copper prospects....

  Diversified minerals developer, India Resources has commenced drilling on copper prospects in its Aravalli Project in Rajasthan.The company said its scout reverse circulation program is designed to test several prospects identified by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in the Reconnaissance Permit. The first prospects to be tested are Sathuddia and Rewara, both in the top 10 ranked prospects identified in the Reconnaissance Permit and among the most accessible. India Resources Chairman, Michael Kiernan said the exploration program would target highly prospective copper regions. “Our in-country team is driving the development of India Resources’ projects in a timely fashion,” Mr Kiernan said. “We have really hit the ground running in India and the launch of this drilling program is another major step forward for shareholders.” “We are also continuing the development of our primary Surda Copper mine project with promising geological analysis of historical mine data at Surda, and refurbishment of the plant continuing ahead of schedule. “We are on track to commence mining in late 2007, with copper production in the first quarter of 2008,” he said. At the Sathuddia prospect, copper mineralisation occurs in amphibolite grade metasedimentary metamorphic rocks likely to be from the Palaeoproterozoic age. It is one of a number of prospects on a northeast-southwest linear schist belt that stretches from the permit boundary in the northeast to Rajpura Dariba mine in the southwest. The Geological Survey of India reportedly drilled 12 holes here previously and intersected two lenses of Cu mineralisation.At Rewara, several ancient workings occur across 300m strike on a flat plain, again with thin cover. The GSI drilled 29 holes here for approximately 6700m targeting an airborne geophysical anomaly.