Mining Strategy on Track to Commence Gold Production in February 2009
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 10/06/08 -- Avion Resources Corp. ("Avion Resources" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE: AVR), today announced the completion of the 2008 drilling program at the Segala and Tabakoto gold projects, Mali (West Africa). In total, Avion drilled 79 holes (15,341 metres), since the acquisition of the Mali projects, in May 2008. The program objective was to substantiate previous mineral resource estimates at Segala and Tabakoto, discover additional zones and to delineate a new geological model for the deposits. An updated resource estimate for the Segala gold project is expected in the fourth quarter of 2008, with planned production at Segala commencing shortly thereafter in the first quarter of 2009. An updated resource for Tabakoto is planned for the first quarter of 2009.
A total of 26 holes were drilled in the Segala area this year. This work confirmed the grade and the continuity of the Segala zone, resulted in the discovery of a new zone of gold mineralization (along Segala Far NW trend) that is located approximately 600 metres northwest of the Segala deposit, and developed numerous additional exploration targets. Hole S-08-19, which tested a 145 metre, on-section gap in the Segala Zone, returned 2.72 g/t Au over 73.5 metres (see figure) core length (approximately 41.4 metres true width). This new intercept is consistent with historic drill intercepts for the Segala zone, along a 300 m strike from 50 metres to 450 metres depth that returned from 1.96 g/t Au to 8.72 g/t Au over true widths of 9.0 metres to 43.5 metres. Intercepts that lie along the same 25 metre wide section as hole S-08-19 are listed below.
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Hole From (m) To (m) Drilled Estimated True Au (g/t)
Width (m) Width (m)
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S-08-19 167.0 240.5 73.5 41.4 2.72
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incl. 183.0 215.0 32.0 18.0 4.33
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SRC-365(i) 34.5 60 25.5 21.0 5.11
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S-125(i) 83.5 98.5 15 14.0 2.49
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SD94-4(i) 102.1 121.2 19.1 18.0 6.10
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S-123(i) 134.5 178.0 43.5 31.0 3.84
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SD96-08(i) 298.9 316.8 17.9 15.0 8.72
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SD97-42(i) 440.3 466.3 26 16.0 3.68
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(i) Historic drill intercepts on section 259900 (+/- 12.5 metres)
Hole S-08-13, which returned 0.86 g/t Au over 60 metres core length (including 2.6 g/t Au over 12.0 metres core length), is located in the Segala Far NW area of the Segala property (see figure) and is situated approximately 180 metres from Hole S-08-08 (existing Segala deposit), which returned 10.5 metres of 8.51 g/t Au earlier in the program. (For more information on Hole S-08-08, refer to news release dated August 21, 2008.) These intercepts, with no drill holes between, suggest the potential for a new mineable zone, and future drilling will be planned to further test the potential of the area.
Results from the Tabakoto area, located approximately 5 kilometres from the Segala deposit, also returned positive results. In total, 29 holes were drilled at Tabakoto in 2008, with assays from 14 holes pending.
