Freegold Adds Strategic Land Holding to Golden Summit Project
January 28 2008 - 2:36PM
PR Newswire (US)
VANCOUVER, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Freegold Ventures
Limited (TSX: ITF, OTCBB: FGOVF, Frankfurt: FR4) is pleased to
announce that it has completed the purchase of a strategic parcel
of land adjoining its Golden Summit property outside Fairbanks,
Alaska. The acquisition of this land, comprising 301.5 acres of
private ground plus three additional State claims, is key to any
long term development at Golden Summit. Given the hilly topography
of much of the Golden Summit property, this flat-lying tract of
land was previously selected as the ideal spot in which to locate
our existing bulk sample processing plant. The lease that had been
in place to cover the portion of these private lands where the
plant and tailings facilities are located has been terminated, and
production royalties that had been associated with the previous
lease agreement have been waived as part of the larger land
acquisition. These 312 acres are directly adjacent to the Steese
Highway and power lines, and represents the only practical access
to the gold mineralization currently identified in the Cleary Hill
and Tolovana areas. In addition to the broad extent of flat lying
ground, this parcel is ideally situated with respect to its
abundance of processing water (being at the confluence of a number
of streams) and on-site gravel. The large stockpiles of sand and
gravel on the property will be a valuable asset in any future
project expansions, and the Company will continue to investigate
the sale of these gravels for local use as has been undertaken in
the past. Proposed Reform of the 1872 Mining Law Many shareholders
have been questioning what impact recently proposed legislation
changes to the 1872 Mining Law may have on the Company. In November
of last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Hardrock
Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, which would update mining laws
that have been in place since 1872 and add new royalties on
minerals on Federal public lands. The U.S. Senate has also begun to
hold its own hearings on the proposed legislative changes. While we
believe that some form of new royalty structure will likely be
implemented, we are pleased to report that the majority of our
current land holdings will not be affected by any such legislative
changes. At our Almaden project in Idaho, approximately 90% of the
gold resources previously reported on the property are situated on
private ground that is currently held under long term lease. The
remaining 10% of the currently identified resources are located on
BLM administered Federal ground that would be subject to any mining
law amendments. Our Rob and Vinasale projects, consist of State of
Alaska and Doyon Native Corporation lands, and are also not subject
to any new Federal royalties. At Golden Summit, our property
position is comprised of both patented and Federal claims. Of the
5,000 foot long zone of mineralization currently identified in the
Cleary Hill and Tolovana areas, approximately 50% of this zone is
located on private ground held under long term lease, while the
remaining 50% is located on BLM administered Federal ground. Almost
all of the gold targets and historical underground gold mines in an
area 2 miles to the east that will be the focus of our next
regional step-out exploration drilling later in the year are also
located on private ground. The Qualified Person for this release is
Michael P. Gross, M.S., P. Geo., VP Exploration, Freegold Ventures
Limited. About Freegold Ventures Limited Freegold Ventures Limited
is a North American exploration and development company with a new
management team experienced in mine development and production that
is actively exploring advanced-stage gold projects in Idaho and
Alaska. Freegold holds a 100% lease interest in the Almaden gold
project in Idaho. This large tonnage epithermal gold deposit was
the subject of a feasibility study in 1997 calling for the
development of a 95,000 oz/year open pit, heap leach mine. Freegold
has finalized a 54,700-foot drilling program aimed at further
expanding the size of the resource and is in the process of
generating a new 43-101 resource prior to undertaking new economic
evaluations in 2008. Drilling at depth and to the north and south
of the known mineralization is continuing to identify new
extensions to the deposit. Freegold has also discovered many new
high-grade veins and bulk tonnage shear zones in its 40,100-foot
drill program at its Golden Summit project outside Fairbanks,
Alaska. Gold production from the processing of bulk sampled
material has commenced, and in addition to on-going bulk sampling
of additional areas found to contain high grade surface
mineralization, the Company continues to define additional areas of
larger, lower grade mineralization through on-going drilling and
stripping. Exploration has also commenced on the Vinasale property
in Alaska, where geophysical and surface sampling programs have
recently been completed, and on the Rob property in Alaska, where
recent drilling has intersected high-grade gold (29.0 g/t over 13
feet and 20.1 g/t over 13.5 feet) in Pogo-style, near surface
quartz veins. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Steve Manz"
Steve Manz President and C.E.O. The TSX has neither approved nor
disapproved the contents of this news release. CUSIP: 45953B107
DISCLAIMER This news release contains certain "Forward-Looking
Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other
than statements of historical fact, included herein are
forward-looking statements that involve various risks and
uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will
prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the
Company's documents filed from time to time with the Toronto Stock
Exchange, British Columbia Securities Commission and the United
States Securities & Exchange Commission. CONTACT: Kristina
Walcott - VP Corporate Development, (604) 662-7307, DATASOURCE:
Freegold Ventures Limited CONTACT: Kristina Walcott - VP Corporate
Development, (604) 662-7307,
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