Exploration Update

Ariana Resources PLC 30 November 2005 30 November 2005 AIM: AAU EXPLORATION UPDATE Ariana Resources plc ('Ariana' or 'the Company'), the gold exploration company focused exclusively on Turkey announces a highly encouraging reconnaissance sample result from its Kepez prospect, the granting of two new prospective licences areas in north east Turkey and the commencement of exploration in the Canakkale province. * 19.66 g/t Au reconnaissance sample at Kepez prospect * Two new licences in north east Turkey * Exploration commences in Canakkale province Kepez prospect A single reconnaissance sample taken by Ariana at its 100% owned Kepez prospect, which is part of the Sindirgi project, in western Turkey has assayed at 19.66 g/ t Au. The sample was collected adjacent to an area of historic workings, directly down slope from Kepez vein-1, which has been mapped up to 25 metres wide and 450 metres long. Exploration by previous owners includes a channel sample of 9.5 g/t Au over 5m. Mapping and channel sampling across Kepez vein-1 is now planned. The Sindirgi project includes the Kiziltepe vein prospect, on which positive channel sample results were recently announced and exploration is ongoing. New Licences Ariana has been granted two new exploration licences covering an area of 2,834 hectares in the Pontide volcanic arc in Artvin Province, north eastern Turkey. The licence areas were selected following target definition from the ongoing analysis of the Company's proprietary in-house GIS data platform, which is targeting the discovery of bulk tonnage high-sulphidation style gold and copper-gold systems as well as low-sulphidation vein hosted gold-silver deposits. The new licences will be the subject of a reconnaissance exploration programme in 2006. Reconnaissance exploration Ariana has also commenced exploration over two 100% owned contiguous licences, covering an area of 5,672 hectares in Canakkale Province, north western Turkey. The licences were selected based on the identification of strong anomalies from the Company's Landsat study. Steven Poulton, Chief Executive, commented: 'Ariana continues to maintain its very strong momentum, with exploration underway in several areas and new licences being acquired on priority targets. The 19.66 g/t Au reconnaissance sample at Kepez reinforces the encouraging recent channel sampling results at the Kiziltepe prospect and testifies to the wider potential for the Sindirgi project to host a significant gold system. The initiation of exploration over new licence areas demonstrates our commitment to the systematic and rapid turnover of targets generated by our in-house remote sensing programme.' Contacts: Ariana Resources plc Steven Poulton, Chief Executive Tel: 01235 511 767 s.j.poulton@arianaresources.com Mobile: 0797 408 6712 Bankside Consultants Michael Padley / Susan Scott Tel: 020 7367 8888 Editors note: About Kepez The Kepez prospect is located within a ten-year renewable operating licence that forms part of the Company's 100% owned 235km2 Sindirgi gold project in Balikesir Province, western Turkey. The prospect lies approximately 6.5 km north east and within the same licence as the Company's Kiziltepe prospect. Kepez hosts approximately 8 km in strike length of gold-silver bearing low-sulphidation epithermal quartz veins and hydrothermal vein breccia, across an area of at least 2 km by 1 km. The majority of exploration work to date has focused on Kepez vein-1, where channel sampling by previous owners include an intersection of 9.5 g/t over 5m across a silicified zone and a best drill intersect of 6.9 g/ t Au over 4m. Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE & ASX: NEM; TSX: NMC) retains the right to a royalty of up to 2.5% on future gold production from the Sindirgi project. Dr Kerim Sener, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, is Ariana's Exploration Director. A graduate of the University of Southampton in Geology, he also holds a Master's degree from the Royal School of Mines (Imperial College, London) in Mineral Exploration and a doctorate from the University of Western Australia. He is a Fellow of The Geological Society of London and has worked in geological research and mineral consultancy in Southern Africa and the Northern Territory of Australia. He has read and approved the technical disclosure in this regulatory announcement. About Ariana Resources Ariana is a technology-driven exploration company focused on the discovery of multi-million ounce potential epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold deposits within the Tethyan metallogenic belt of Turkey. The Company has a portfolio of prospective licences covering over 1,000km2, selected on the basis of its advanced in-house remote sensing database. Ariana's broker is Ambrian Partners Limited 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 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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