Exploration within Thailand is sub-divided into Resource Development (within the current mining leases), Near-Mine Exploration and Regional Exploration. A minor amount of early stage exploration is also underway in Australia and South America.

Resource Development
Resource Development drilling recommenced in the December quarter 2008 within the Chatree North mining leases once access was granted and this drill program of US$4-6 million per year will continue for at least the next few years. Drilling has been focused on extending the known open pit boundaries and the current known orebodies, particularly around the A Pit and the southern Q Pits, which are being linked partially to the A Pit. The northern Q Pits require considerable drilling to better understand the controls on mineralisation and the geological setting.

A long term drilling program has commenced to determine the depth, extent and potential of the high grade "feeder zones" beneath the A Pit to establish the extent of the A Pit and the underground mining potential. Across the deposit, very few holes have been drilled below 200m depth at this stage.
[more - Mineral Resources & Ore Reserves]

Near-Mine Exploration
Near-mine exploration is focused on locating satellite pit potential as future ore feed sources within trucking distance (<10 km) for the Chatree processing plant. Most targets are covered by 2-20m of alluvium and therefore ground-based geophysics and top-of-bedrock drillhole sampling (RAB or Air Core drilling) is used to identify targets prior to RC drilling.

The Suwan discovery, announced in November 2009, was a result of this exploration approach, and is located 6-10km north of Chatree. The new 20 square kilometre gold mineralised Suwan project area is a similar size to the overall dimensions of the Chatree gold mine with individual prospects displaying potentially economic gold mineralisation. 
[ more - see exploration diagram]

Regional Exploration
Regional exploration continues in the Company's 1806 square kilometre exploration tenements, most of which surround the Chatree mine area, with the aim to locate further gold discoveries which may be developed into future operations. This approach led to the Chokdee discovery in November 2008, 20km north of Chatree. High grade veins have been intersected within low grade gold mineralisation with characteristics similar to the Chatree deposit. Mineralisation has been drill tested over 800 metres strike length and is a significant target for further drilling in 2010. As yet, only a small portion has been drill tested within the 30 square kilometre gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly.

Airborne and ground geophysics are key tools, together with surface sampling and top-of-bedrock drilling, in identifying new gold prospects under cover. Conceptual targets generated from the geophysical data are "ground truthed" later.
[more - Conceptual Targets presentation]