Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:NSU)(NYSE MKT:NSU) is pleased to announce the final assay results from the 2013 resource definition drilling program at the Northwest Zone poly-metallic massive sulphide deposit, located 2 kilometers from the Bisha processing plant within the Bisha mining license.
Final assay results have now been returned from the 220 hole, 18,892 meter resource definition and expansion drilling program completed in 2013 at the Northwest Zone by the Bisha Mining Share Company (BMSC). These results are appended at the end of this release. Prior drilling results were released on May 23 and October 21, 2013. Work on the maiden resource estimate is in progress and the results to be included in an updated BMSC mineral resource and reserve statement in early 2014.
The new results demonstrate that highly anomalous gold forms coherent zones often associated with later felsic dykes proximal to copper-rich massive and stringer zones. Mineralization at the Northwest Zone occurs in a series of massive sulphide lenses hosted within altered felsic volcanic rocks containing abundant copper and zinc-rich stringer sulphide mineralization. Some of the massive sulphides have been exposed to weathering at surface creating oxide zones that are locally enriched in gold. Beneath these areas, some supergene copper mineralization may also be present. Core recovery is often poor in the oxide zones as unconsolidated material is easily washed away and not recovered during the diamond drilling process. Further testing of these areas by reverse circulation drilling will be completed in due course.
The mineralized system at the Northwest Zone is extensive and resource expansion opportunities remain to the north, south and at depth. In July, four holes were drilled beneath the central and northern portions of the deposit. This drilling demonstrated that the mineralized system continues to depth and appears to be thickening to the south where further drilling is warranted. In addition, to the east there is a parallel zone of massive sulphide that is only defined by limited drilling.
The Northwest Zone was discovered in 2003 by the diamond drilling of an airborne EM anomaly. Follow-up ground geophysics, soil sampling and drilling from 2004 to 2006 defined a 600 meter long zone of massive and stringer sulphide mineralization. Further work was deferred while the Bisha deposit was being prepared for mining. A program of in-fill drilling was started in late 2011 designed to fully delineate the open-pit potential.
This drill program has now been completed and has successfully extended the mineralization an additional 400 meters in strike length.
Quality Assurance
A Quality Assurance/Quality Control program was part of the sampling program for the Northwest Zone work. This program includes a chain of custody whereby drill core samples are initially crushed and subsampled at the Bisha Mine preparation facilities before being transported to Asmara, sealed, and sent on to the laboratories of ALS Limited in Vancouver. ALS is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. Multi-element analysis is completed using ICP-AES methods; gold is analyzed by fire assay with AAS finish. Certified reference material (standards), duplicates and blank samples are systematically inserted into the flow of core samples and results analyzed on a batch by batch basis.
Hole collars are surveyed using differential GPS; down hole survey was originally completed using the Reflex EZ shot method, now superseded with downhole gyro methods.
Mr. Paul Gribble C.Eng., FIMMM, BMSC's Chief Resource Geologist has been overseeing the drilling and resource work at the Northwest Zone and is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Gribble has reviewed the technical content of this press release and approved its dissemination.
