Successfully Passes Public and Ministerial Cons...

 

 

2 April 2013
AIM: AAU

PUBLIC AND MINISTERIAL CONSULTATION: RED RABBIT GOLD PROJECT, TURKEY

Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the gold exploration and development company focused on Turkey, is pleased to announce that the Kiziltepe Sector of the Red Rabbit Gold Project in Western Turkey has successfully passed the public and ministerial consultation process as part of its Environmental Impact Assessment ("EIA") submission to the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning ("MEUP").  

Highlights:

• Meeting attended by approximately 100 people from surrounding villages with no opposition to the proposed development of the mine at Kiziltepe. 

• Site selected for the mine and process plant considered suitable by the Provincial Directorate in subsequent communication with Turkish authorities. 

• Clear path to production for 2014 now in place with one remaining milestone: EIA positive certification, expected in Q3 2013. 

Dr. Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented:

"The successful completion of the Public Consultation Meeting for the proposed development of a mine at Kiziltepe is another significant milestone for Ariana.  Having clearly presented our intentions in detail to a group of over 100 people from the surrounding villages there was no opposition to the Kiziltepe development.  This is testament to the regional support Ariana enjoys, which is an instrumental factor in developing a mine at the site.  

"Following the meeting, the site selected for the mine and process plant at Kiziltepe were considered suitable by the Provincial Directorate.  The next step is the EIA positive certification which, following a meeting for the purposes of scoping the requirements for its completion last week, is expected to be received during Q3 2013.  The successful completion of these milestones provides us a clear path forward as we progress towards production targeted for 2014.  We look forward to updating shareholders on further developments."

Public Consultation Meeting

On 14 March 2013, a Public Consultation Meeting was held at Yusufcami Village in the district of Sindirgi, Balikesir Province.  This meeting was held in accordance with the requirements of the MEUP as per Article 9 of the EIA Regulations and was chaired by a representative of the MEUP.  The meeting was organised for the purpose of informing the public and in order to receive their opinions.

The meeting provided a presentation of the Kiziltepe Gold and Silver Mine given by the EIA consultants, SRK Consulting, followed by a forum in which questions could be asked.  Public participation in the meeting comprised of approximately 100 attendees from the surrounding village areas of Yusufcami, Yolcupinari and Coturtepe.  There was no opposition to the proposed development of the mine at Kiziltepe.  

Following the meeting and in a subsequent communication from the Governorship of Balikesir, Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urban Planning, sent to the Company on the 20 March 2013, the site selected for the mine and process plant were considered suitable by the Provincial Directorate.

Ministerial Consultation Meeting

A meeting was held on 21 March 2013 at the MEUP in Ankara for the purposes of finalising the requirements for EIA completion among various government departments.  Participants of the scoping meeting included the representatives from the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, General Directorate of Meteorology, General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization, Provincial Directorate of Public Health, SRK Consulting and the Company.  The Provincial Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the General Directorate of Forestry did not participate in the meeting but instead provided their written reports.

The representatives of the various government departments expressed their views on the project and indicated that the required documents and information relevant to the EIA were provided to their satisfaction.  Any additional information required as relevant to the EIA was noted and will be provided to the MEUP in due course.  All additional information as requested by the MEUP is considered by the Company to be necessary and routine.  

Contacts:

Ariana Resources plc	Tel: [phone]
Michael Spriggs, Chairman
Kerim Sener, Managing Director
Beaumont Cornish Limited	Tel: [phone]
Roland Cornish / Felicity Geidt
Beaufort International Associates Limited	Tel: [phone]
Chris Rourke / Guy Wheatley
Loeb Aron & Company Ltd.	Tel: [phone]
Frank Lucas
St Brides Media & Finance Ltd	Tel: [phone]
Susie Geliher / Lottie Brocklehurst

Editors' note:

About Ariana Resources:

Ariana is an exploration and development company focused on epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold deposits in Turkey.  The Company is developing a portfolio of prospective licences selected on the basis of its in-house geological and remote-sensing database, on its own in western Turkey and in Joint Venture with Eldorado Gold Corporation in north-eastern Turkey.  Eldorado owns 51% of this joint venture and is fully funding all exploration work on the JV properties, while Ariana owns 49% and is the operator.

The Company's flagship assets are its Kiziltepe and Tavsan gold projects which form the Red Rabbit Gold Project.  Both contain a series of prospects, within two prolific mineralised districts in the Western Anatolian Volcanic and Extensional (WAVE) Province in western Turkey.  This Province hosts the largest operating gold mines in Turkey and remains highly prospective for new porphyry and epithermal deposits.  These core projects, which are separated by a distance of 75km, are presently being assessed as to their economic merits and now form part of a Joint Venture with Proccea Construction Co.  The total resource inventory of the Company stands at 448,000 ounces of gold equivalent.  

Ariana also has a strategic investment in Tigris Resources Limited (www.tigrisresources.com), a private Jersey-based exploration company, which is focused on the exploration of copper and gold deposits in southeastern Turkey.  Ariana retains 11.5% of Tigris Resources Limited.  

Beaufort International Associates Limited and Loeb Aron & Company Ltd. are joint brokers to the Company and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's Nominated Adviser.

For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.arianaresources.com.

Ends

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Source: Ariana Resources plc via Thomson Reuters ONE

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