Entree Defines NI 43-101 Inferred Resource of 7.1 Billion Pounds Copper at Ann Mason, Nevada
January 26 2010 - 3:57PM
PR Newswire (US)
VANCOUVER, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Entree Gold Inc.
(TSX:ETG; AMEX:EGI; Frankfurt:EKA - "Entree" or the "Company") has
received the first National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101")
compliant resource estimate prepared for the Ann Mason copper-
molybdenum deposit located near Yerington, Nevada. Ann Mason is
estimated to contain an inferred resource of 810.4 million metric
tonnes grading 0.40% copper, using a 0.30% copper cut-off (see
Table 1 below). Accompanying molybdenum is estimated at 165.9
million metric tonnes at a grade of 0.01% molybdenum. Based on
these figures, the Ann Mason deposit contains approximately 7.1
billion pounds of copper. Entree commissioned Wardrop Engineering
Inc. ("Wardrop") to prepare the NI 43-101 compliant Technical
Report and Resource Estimate of the Ann Mason Copper Molybdenum
Project ("2010 NI 43-101 Resource Estimate"), which is filed on
SEDAR. This independent report was completed in order to fulfill
Canadian regulatory requirements. The Wardrop 2010 Inferred
resource is confined by an optimized Whittle pit shell #25. Using
the same pit shell, the 2010 Inferred resource estimate represents
a 10.6% increase in tonnes from the 2006 model (724.7 million
tonnes at 0.40% copper) with a negligible increase in grade at a
0.30% copper cut-off. The increase in tonnage is largely due to the
inclusion of additional information generated by drilling after the
2006 calculation was made. Table 1. Ann Mason Inferred Resource -
January 2010 ------------------------------------------------------
Cut-off Tonnage Cu
------------------------------------------------------ Cu %
(million t) %
------------------------------------------------------ (greater
than)0.4 315.22 0.485
------------------------------------------------------ (greater
than)0.3 810.39 0.399
------------------------------------------------------ (greater
than)0.2 1409.96 0.336
------------------------------------------------------ Entree
announced on November 29, 2009 that it had signed a definitive
agreement with PacMag Metals Limited (ASX:PMH - "PacMag") to
implement Australian Schemes of Arrangement to acquire all of the
issued shares and options of PacMag. PacMag has a 100% interest in
the Ann Mason Project, which hosts the Ann Mason deposit. PacMag
commissioned Golder Associates ("Golder") to prepare a Joint Ore
Reserves Committee ("JORC") compliant resource estimate in 2006
that outlined an in-situ Inferred Mineral Resource of 810 million
tonnes grading 0.40% copper and 0.004% molybdenum at a 0.30% copper
cut-off grade, estimated to contain more than 7.1 billion pounds
copper. The 2010 NI 43-101 Resource Estimate confirms the 2006
Golder estimate. Greg Crowe, President and CEO of Entree commented,
"The recent NI 43-101 inferred resource calculation validates the
earlier work done by PacMag, and suggests there is significant
scope to expand the deposit by further drilling. Once the merger
with PacMag is complete, we intend to commence a substantial
exploration program, including additional drilling to potentially
expand the resource and to further test the southern and western
portions of the Ann Mason deposit." The grades at Ann Mason compare
favourably with a number of current producers and development
projects in western North America where large open pit porphyry
deposits currently in production generally mine copper grades
between 0.28 % to 0.56% copper. In addition to the defined
resource, significant copper oxide and deeper sulphide
mineralization has been intersected at Blue Hills, approximately 5
km to the west of Ann Mason. The oxide copper target covers an area
of 1.5 km by 350 m, and includes near-surface intercepts of 21.3 m
of 0.46% copper, 36.3 m of 0.46% copper and 39.6 m of 0.26 %
copper. The surface copper anomaly in soils appears to extend to
the west onto adjoining ground held by HoneyBadger Exploration Inc.
(TSX.V: TUF - "HoneyBadger"), which is under option to Entree. At
the Shamrock prospect, located 5 km to the southeast of Ann Mason,
drilling by PacMag has confirmed the presence of high grade near
surface copper mineralization (e.g. 33.6 m of 1.72 % copper) in
altered limestone. Work is also being planned for the contiguous
Blackjack and Roulette properties under option agreements with
HoneyBadger and Bronco Creek Exploration, Inc. (a wholly owned
subsidiary of Eurasian Minerals, TSX.V:EMX). The properties adjoin
the Ann Mason property to the west and south. ABOUT ENTREE GOLD
INC. Entree Gold Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company
focused on the worldwide exploration and development of gold and
copper prospects. Entree's expertise is in exploring for deep
and/or concealed ore deposits and with a treasury currently in
excess of C$40 million, is well funded for future activities.
Ivanhoe Mines and Rio Tinto are major shareholders of Entree,
holding approximately 14% and 15% of issued and outstanding shares,
respectively. Entree's flagship property is in Mongolia, where it
holds two mining licences and one exploration licence comprising
the 179,590 hectare Lookout Hill property that completely surrounds
the 8,500-hectare Oyu Tolgoi project of Ivanhoe Mines, and hosts
the Hugo North Extension of the Hugo Dummett copper-gold deposit
and the Heruga copper-gold-molybdenum deposit. The Lookout Hill
property is subject to a joint venture with Oyu Tolgoi LLC (OTLLC)
whereby following expenditure of US$35 million by OTLLC, Entree now
retains a 20% to 30% carried interest through to production, with
Entree's share of development costs to be repaid from future
production cash flow. The Hugo North Extension deposit hosts a NI
43-101 compliant Indicated resource of 117 million tonnes grading
1.8% copper and 0.61 g/t gold, estimated to contain 4.6 billion
pounds of copper and 2.3 million ounces of gold and an Inferred
resource of 95.5 million tonnes grading 1.15% copper and 0.31 g/t
gold, estimated to contain 2.4 billion pounds copper and 950,000
ounces of gold. Entree retains a 20% carried interest in these
resources. The Heruga deposit contains an Inferred resource of 760
million tonnes grading 0.48% copper, 0.55 g/t gold and 142 ppm
molybdenum, estimated to contain 8 billion pounds of copper and
13.4 million ounces of gold. Entree also retains a 20% carried
interest in this resource. Both resources were calculated using a
0.6 % copper equivalent cut-off. The copper equivalent grades were
estimated using metal prices of US$1.35 per pound copper, US$650
per ounce gold and US$10 per pound molybdenum. All resources at
Hugo North Extension and Heruga were calculated using a 0.6%
copper-equivalent cut-off. Entree continues to explore its large
landholdings in Mongolia, including the coal discovery Nomkhon
Bohr, and is also evaluating the Huaixi copper project in Zhejiang
Province in China. In North America, Entree is exploring for
porphyry-related copper systems in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and
British Columbia. Entree's Nevada property is contiguous with the
western boundary of PacMag's Ann Mason copper project and increases
substantially the area of prospective tenure within that district.
Qualified Person Dr. Robert Morrison, Ph.D., MAusIMM (CP), and Lead
Senior Resource Geologist with Wardrop is a Qualified Person as
defined by NI 43-101. Dr. Morrison supervised the preparation of
the technical information in this release. Competent Person
Statement The information in this Release that relates to PacMag
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves, as those
terms are defined in the 2004 Edition of the "Australasian Code for
Reporting of exploration Results, Resources and Ore Reserves", is
based on information compiled by Mr Michael Clifford, who is a full
time employee of PacMag and a Member of the Australian Institute of
Geoscientists. Mr Clifford has sufficient experience which is
relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under
consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking to
qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the
"Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Resources
and Ore Reserves". Mr Clifford consents to the inclusion in this
Release of the matters based on his information in the form and
context in which it appears. This News Release contains
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are
statements which relate to future events. In some cases, you can
identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may",
"should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes",
"estimates", "predicts", "potential" or "continue" or the negative
of these terms or other comparable terminology. Such statements
include those relating to the successful completion of the
transaction and implementation of the Schemes of Arrangement. These
statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our
industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by these forward-looking statements. While these
forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are
based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment
regarding the direction of our business, actual results will almost
always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions,
projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested
herein. Except as required by applicable law, including the
securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend
to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these
statements to actual results. Readers are referred to the sections
entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's periodic filings with the
British Columbia Securities Commission, which can be viewed at
http://www.sedar.com/, and with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission, which can be viewed at http://www.sec.gov/.
DATASOURCE: Entrée Gold Inc. CONTACT: Monica Hamm, Manager,
Investor Relations, Entree Gold Inc., Tel: (604) 687-4777, Toll
Free: (866) 368-7330, E-mail: ; Peter Oates, Corporate
Communications, Entree Gold Inc., Tel: (604) 687-4777, Toll Free:
(866) 368-7330, E-mail:
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