Goveli Update

Ariana Resources PLC
11 December 2006




11 December 2006
AIM: AAU

                 EXPLORATION UPDATE ON THE GOVELI GOLD PROJECT

Ariana Resources plc ('Ariana' or 'the Company'), the gold exploration company
focused exclusively on Turkey, provides an update on exploration at its Goveli
gold project in western Turkey.

   •Gold mineralised zone measures at least 5km long and 0.5km wide
   •Grades of up to 4.16 g/t Au and 1.72% Nickel from composite rock-chip
    sampling
   •Follow up exploration underway to define drill targets

Geological mapping and a programme of systematic rock-chip sampling have defined
a zone of pervasive gold mineralisation and hydrothermal alteration measuring at
least 5km long and up to 0.5km wide along the discontinuous northeast striking
thrusted contact between Cretaceous age marble and ophiolitic units with
Precambrian age basement schists and gneiss. A total of 586 samples have been
collected from a combination of 50m by 50m and 25m by 25m spaced composite rock
chip grids, with a peak gold grade of 4.16 g/t. Sixteen samples graded above
0.5% Ni with peak grades of 1.72% Ni and 0.15% Co collected proximal to altered
ophiolite.

A programme of reconnaissance rock-saw channel sampling has also been completed
along road cuts within an area showing strong alteration. A total of 141 samples
were collected and the results confirm the broad distribution of anomalous grade
gold mineralisation at surface, including 0.49 g/t Au over 23m and 0.34 g/t Au
over 22m.

Kerim Sener, Exploration Director, commented:
'Our systematic exploration of the Goveli project has defined a significant zone
of gold mineralisation measuring 5km long and up to 0.5km wide in places. Field
observations indicate that the mineralisation is associated with a complex array
of faults and fracturing. Structural mapping, geophysics and a programme of
trenching are planned to define possible high-grade feeder zones that would be a
target for a future drilling programme in 2007. '

About the Goveli project
The Goveli gold project comprises three exploration licences totalling 44.5km2
in the Manisa Province of western Turkey, 125km northeast of the coastal city of
Izmir and 60km southeast of Ariana's Sindirgi gold project. The central licence
was acquired through competitive auction and two contiguous licences were
acquired from Newmont Altin Madencilik Limited Sirketi, a subsidiary of Newmont
Mining Corporation (NYSE & ASX: NEM; TSX: NMC) ('Newmont'), in July 2006.
Newmont retains a Net Smelter Returns royalty of 2% on future production from
the Goveli project.

Sampling and Assaying Procedures
The Goveli exploration programme has consisted of the collection of 586
composite rock-chip samples and 13 float samples. Of the rock-chips, 482 samples
returned grades of less than 0.1 g/t Au (82% of the total), 72 samples between
0.1-0.5 g/t Au (12% of total), 17 between 0.5-1 g/t Au (3% of total), and 15
greater than 1 g/t Au (3% of total), with a peak grade of 4.12 g/t Au.

All samples have been prepared by the ALS Chemex preparation facility in Izmir
and assayed for gold by 30g fire assay at the ALS Chemex laboratory in Romania.
Batches of 44 samples are submitted to the laboratory for simultaneous fire
assay and batch control is provided by standard and blank samples inserted in
the sample sequence in line with the Company's quality control procedures.

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.


Contacts:
Ariana Resources plc
Steven Poulton, Chief Executive                          Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]                          Mobile: [phone]

Bankside Consultants
Michael Padley / Susan Scott                             Tel: [phone]

About Ariana Resources
Ariana is a dynamic exploration company focused on the discovery of epithermal
gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold deposits with multi-million ounce potential
within the Tethyan metallogenic belt of Turkey. The Company has a portfolio of
prospective licences covering 1,755km2, selected on the basis of its advanced
in-house remote sensing database.

The Company's flagship asset is the 235km2 Sindirgi gold project, which targets
a series of prospects, within a prolific mineralised district in western Turkey.
The project hosts over 45km of gold-silver bearing epithermal quartz veins. A
two rig drilling programme is currently focussed on defining resources (in
compliance with the JORC code) at the prospects of Kiziltepe and Kepez.

Ambrian Partners Limited and King & Shaxson Capital Limited 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.




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