Ord River Resources (ASX: ORD) is a minerals exploration and development company with projects in copper, bauxite and gold.
ORD has identified undeveloped bauxite resources on the Bolaven Plateau, Southern Laos, potentially one of the world’s largest. Initial exploration indicates that the Laos bauxite deposits may have the potential to support an industry, as large as Western Australia’s Darling Ranges’ deposits which produce 14% of the world’s alumina.
Ord River Resources completes field work for Laos LSI tenement
Ord River Resources (ASX: ORD) has provided a further update on the Laos Project feasibility study with field work for tenement LSI completed.
ORD holds a 49% interest in Sino Australian Resources (Laos) Co., Ltd (SARCO), a joint venture company between ORD and China Nonferrous Metal Industry’s Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd (NFC).
SARCO contracted Sinomine Resource Exploration Co., Ltd to carry out a feasibility study valued at A$5.3million.
Sinomines has completed drilling a total of 1,195 holes with 9,387.56 meters in depth at LSI. 1,012 holes with 8,072.39 meters in depth were drilled.
Yuqida has had 183 holes drilled so far with 1,315.17 meters in depth. 8,722 samples of rock core have been collected.
Extensive geological and mapping work has also been completed. 352.25ha of land has been cleared of UXO to support the field work.
The company said this is a large amount of work completed in a short period of time since the commencement of the feasibility study in early March.
Peter Shou, managing director, said "we are confident that there will be positive results derived from such an extensive work program. We hold a firm belief in the tremendous value the Laos project will deliver to all stakeholders."
"We will continue to work hard with our JV partner NFC to advance the project to the next stage for investment and development.”
Sinomines will now focus on completing all the necessary drilling analysis, core sampling, geological mapping, detailed analysis and preparation work during the wet season which just commenced.
Sinomines has halted field work and returned majority of its field staff to China. Sinomines will return to Laos to complete field work as soon as the wet season finishes in late 2010.
In the prevoius week project contractor Sinomine Resource Exploration Co., Ltd. has carried out project work including:
LSI Tenement
- The Topographic Survey for ore blocks 1, 12, 14, 15 and 16 were fully completed.
- Geological mapping for LSI achieved 10% completion.
- Geologic Map Surveying achieved 10% completion.
- Survey of Exploratory Line Schedule achieved 5% completion.
- Hydrologic engineering and environmental geology Survey achieved 10% completion.
- 20% of samples for rockmineral determination collected.
- Sample processing for LSI was 20% completed.
Yuqida Tenement
- Past drill hole analysis for ore block 1 in Yuqida was fully completed.
- Sampling and processing for exploration drilling of ore block 2 was fully completed.
The A$5.3million feasibility study commenced on 1 March 2010. Ord maintains 49% interest in the JV with SARCO until the end of the feasibility study.
A$500,000 has been set aside for ORD’s contribution to the study in the future.
