TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 08/17/09 -- Avion Gold Corporation ("Avion Gold" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE: AVR), today announced the results of channel samples in the Tabakoto Pit and for the third and fourth of five holes drilled to test the Segala Main zone at depth in support of the planning for underground development of the Segala Deposit (see figure).
Tabakoto Channel Samples:
The two channel samples were collected from a 300+ metre long, northeast-trending, mineralized fracture in the southwest corner of the Tabakoto pit from the centre of the pit base access road and from the pit wall. The two channel samples are 13.0 metres apart, horizontally. The pit wall sample, which returned 108.68 g/t Au (18.24 g/t Au capped at 37.5 g/t Au) over 2.0 metres true thickness, comprised five samples ranging in grade from 7.32 g/t Au over 1.0 metres to 377.5 g/t Au over 0.25 metres. The channel sample from the pit access road returned 25.15 g/t Au (23.47 g/t Au capped) over 2.3 metres (true thickness). These results indicate an area of surface accessible, exceptional grades that will be further delineated through a focused drill program and modeling.
Segala Drill Holes:
Hole S-09-03A intersected 2.32 g/t Au (2.24 g/t Au capped) over 32.15 metres core length (approximately 20.0 metres true width) approximately 310 metres from surface (see figure); this intercept includes a higher grade core that returned 8.19 g/t Au (7.70 g/t Au capped) over 5.25 m core length (3.3 metres true width). Hole S-09-04, located 62.0 metres to the east, returned 3.89 g/t Au (3.07 capped) over 49.3 metres core length (approximately 27.0 metres true width) approximately 338 metres below surface; this intercept includes 5.00 g/t Au (4.09 g/t capped) over 10.2 metres core length (5.6 metres true width), 11.30 g/t Au (7.60 g/t Au capped) over 7.9 metres core length (4.4 metres true width) and 4.65 g/t Au over 5.7 metres core length (3.2 metres true width). Both holes tested an area of the Segala Main Deposit that, from a resource study announced on December 12, 2008, contains an inferred mineral resource. Both of these holes extend the higher grade mineralization to depth where the ore resource model had indicated, similar to slightly higher grades. These two holes were drilled at approximately the same vertical elevation as previous released holes S-09-01 and S-09-02, which returned 3.62 g/t Au over 26.9 metres core length and 5.37 g/t Au over 20.89 core length, respectively (Avion news release July 9th, 2009). Assay results for drill hole S-09-05, which tested the Segala Main zone below all previous drilling at more than 500 metres from the surface, are still pending.
Avion's exploration program is progressing with two core drills and one RC drill. To the end of June approximately 11,000 metres of drilling in 55 holes have been completed. A minimum of 15,000 metres of core drilling is planned. The drill program is designed to both increase the confidence in existing resources and to discover new mineralized zones. The drill program to date has tested targets at the Segala Main (10 holes), Dar Salam (14 holes), Moralia (9 holes), NE Orpailleur (2 holes), Fougala (9 holes), Diolafoundou (3 holes) and to a lesser extent Tabakoto zones (6 holes). The next series of holes will further test the Segala and Tabakoto areas. Results are pending for the non-Segala Main holes, which were prioritized.
"The Tabakoto and Segala properties continue to deliver.
