Revised JORC Resource at Kiziltepe

30 April 2008
AIM / PLUS Markets: AAU
 
 
                 REVISED JORC RESOURCE AT KIZILTEPE
 
Ariana  Resources  plc   ("Ariana"  or  "the   Company"),  the   gold
exploration and development company focused on Turkey, is pleased  to
announce a  revision  of  its resource  estimate  for  the  Company's
Kiziltepe  gold  prospect,  at  its  flagship  Sindirgi  Project   in
Balikesir Province, western Turkey.  The total resource has increased
by almost 20% with  two thirds within  the Measured Mineral  Resource
category.
 
Highlights
 

  * SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd ("SRK") estimates a JORC compliant
    mineral resource containing 118,000 oz Au and 2,080,000 oz Ag (~
    160,000 oz Au equivalent)

 

  * Measured Mineral Resources comprise two-thirds of the total
    resource

 

  * High-grade (7.3 g/t Au equivalent) resource defined on three
    veins out of the eight tested to date

 

  * A further resource update on other drilled veins expected in June

 
Dr. Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented:
 
"We  are  exceptionally  pleased   with  this  resource  update   for
Kiziltepe.  Not only has the total resource increased by a factor  of
almost 20%,  but our  confidence in  the resource  estimate has  also
increased dramatically. 
 
"We would particularly like to emphasise the significance of the high
level of resource conversion from our 2007 mineral resource  estimate
and  that  the   overall  grade   of  the   resource  remains   high:
approximately 7.3 g/t gold equivalent.  Due to our confidence in  the
geological model, we expect that the existing Inferred Resources will
be upgraded to  Indicated and  Measured without  too much  additional
drilling. 
 
"We remain highly encouraged by the  results of our work to date  and
we expect that the  resource at Kiziltepe  can be expanded  further. 
More drilling  will  be  undertaken  in  2008  to  define  additional
potential at  the prospect  with the  aim of  further increasing  the
global resource at the Sindirgi Project.
 
"We look  to establish  a minimum  mineable resource  and to  rapidly
progress the  project towards  production to  take advantage  of  the
current gold price."
 
Resource Statement
 
SRK has completed a 3D geological model and mineral resource estimate
in compliance  with the  JORC code  for certain  gold-bearing  quartz
veins at the  Kiziltepe prospect.  Measured  and Indicated  Resources
contain 500,000 t  at 6.2 g/t  Au and  102 g/t Ag,  and the  Inferred
Mineral Resource comprises 180,000 t at 2.9 g/t Au and 76g/t Ag. 
 
SRK commented, "Ariana has completed over 7,360m of drilling and 250m
of channel sampling at Arzu South . and 1,438m of drilling and 96m of
channel sampling at Banu . and  has ensured a high quality of  sample
preparation and laboratory  results, resulting in  grade and  density
data which can support a JORC compliant resource estimate."
 
Three mineralised structures have been incorporated into the resource
model, namely: Arzu South, Banu and Arzu North.  The majority of  the
current resource is located  within Arzu South,  the central part  of
which has been drilled and channel sampled with sufficient density to
support a  Measured  Mineral Resource.   Parts  of the  southern  and
northern areas of Arzu  South are in  the Indicated Mineral  Resource
category while  Arzu North  and Banu  comprise the  Inferred  Mineral
Resource.  The figures for Arzu North remain unchanged from last year
as new drilling on this vein has not yet been incorporated in to  the
resource model (data is pending).  It is expected that this vein  and
potentially two  other veins  will form  part of  a further  resource
update in June. 
 
SRK has placed a depth limit  of approximately 125m to the model,  as
most drill intersections are above this level and it is unlikely that
material below this level would be taken by an open pit.  A 2 g/t  Au
cut-off grade, established as part of the mining options study  being
undertaken by Wardrop Engineering, has  been applied to the  resource
blocks, which measure 25 x  25m x 10m.  The  parts of the model  that
are above  the cut-off  grade are  generally continuous  and,  within
these,  higher  grade  features  appear  to  plunge  steeply  to  the
southeast. 
 
SRK Mineral Resource Statement
 

Classification     Vein     Tonnage       Grade           Metal *
                               (Kt) (Au g/t) (Ag g/t) (kg Au) (kg Ag)
                                                                     
Measured       Arzu South       390      6.4      101   2,500  39,000
                                                                     
Indicated      Arzu South       110      5.7      106     600  12,000
                                                                     
Inferred       Banu             130      2.6       82     330  10,500
Inferred       Arzu North**      50      4.0       65     200   3,250

 
* Equivalent to 159,400 oz gold equivalent.  The gold equivalent is
calculated on the basis of a 50:1 price ratio between gold and silver
(this price ratio fluctuates and is dependent on market conditions).
** The resource figure for Arzu North remains unchanged from the May
2007 resource estimate, although the integration of new drilling data
will result in a revised estimate. 
 
SRK considers there  to be reasonably  good exploration potential  in
the wider Kiziltepe project area.  The exceptionally high  conversion
of Inferred  Mineral  Resources  to Indicated  Mineral  Resources  to
Measured Mineral  Resources at  Arzu  South demonstrates  the  robust
nature of the geological model  applied.  This also provides  greater
confidence in the selection of veins for follow-up drilling in 2008. 
 
A mining  options  study being  prepared  by Wardrop  Engineering  is
ongoing, which  is  considering  a number  of  potential  mining  and
processing  routes.   The  study  will  also  establish  the  minimum
resource threshold  required  for the  project  to be  economic  with
respect to the preferred mining/processing option. 
 
Contacts:
 

Ariana Resources plc             Tel: [phone]
Michael Spriggs, Chairman         
Kerim Sener, Managing Director    
                                  
Beaumont Cornish Limited         Tel: [phone]
Roland Cornish                    
                                  
Bankside Consultants             Tel: [phone]
Michael Padley / Louise Davis     
                                  
Loeb Aron & Company Ltd          Tel: [phone]
Peter Freeman / Frank Lucas       
                                  
City Capital Corporation Limited Tel: [phone]
Charles Dampney                   

 
Editors' note:
 
About the Kiziltepe prospect
 
The  Kiziltepe  prospect  is  located  within  a  ten-year  renewable
operating licence  that  forms  part  of  the  Company's  100%  owned
Sindirgi gold project in Balikesir Province, western Turkey.
 
Kiziltepe lies  approximately 100km  east of  the one  million  ounce
vein-hosted Ovacik gold mine and 115km northwest of the five  million
ounce Kisladag  gold mine.  The prospect  hosts over  20km in  strike
length of  gold-silver  bearing  low-sulphidation  epithermal  quartz
veins across an  area of at  least 3km by  1km. Individual veins  are
exposed for up to 750m and widths  vary between 1m and 14m. The  main
veins trend northwest,  dip to  the northeast and  are hosted  within
Miocene age dacitic volcanic rocks.
 
Ariana  acquired  the  Sindirgi  Gold  Project  from  Newmont  Mining
Corporation (NYSE & ASX: NEM; TSX: NMC) in March 2005.  Franco Nevada
Corporation retains the right  to a royalty of  up to 2.5% on  future
gold production from the Sindirgi gold project. 
 
Ahead of  commencing  the  drilling programme,  Ariana  obtained  all
necessary environmental and  forestry approvals  from the  provincial
government in Balikesir and the State Government in Ankara.
 
Sampling and Assaying Procedures
 
Ariana's sampling  of  drill  core,  reverse  circulation  chips  and
surface  samples  conforms  to  industry  best-practice.   Laboratory
sample preparation,  assaying procedures  and  chain of  custody  are
appropriately controlled.  Preparation  of samples  is undertaken  by
ALS Chemex in Izmir and assayed for gold by 30g fire assay at the ALS
Chemex  laboratory  in  Romania.   Routine  re-assaying  of   samples
assaying greater  than  10  g/t Au  and  100  g/t Ag  has  also  been
completed by ALS Chemex.  Standard,  blank and duplicate samples  are
being used in the sample batches  in line with the Company's  quality
control procedures.  Quality control checks have determined excellent
performance of blanks and standards, and duplicate samples have shown
very high correlations.   The Company  maintains an  archive of  half
core samples  and  a photographic  record  of all  cores  for  future
reference.
 
Statement of Qualification
 
Martin Pittuck, MIOM3, C.Eng, a  Principal Resource Geologist at  SRK
with over 10 years experience in Mineral Resource estimation for gold
deposits, has  overseen  the  preparation of  this  estimate.  He  is
considered to be  a competent  person for the  purposes of  reporting
Mineral Resources in accordance  with the terminology and  guidelines
given in the JORC Code.
 
About Ariana Resources
 
Ariana  is  an  exploration   and  development  company  focused   on
epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold deposits in  Turkey. 
The Company is exploring a portfolio of prospective licences selected
on the basis of its in-house remote-sensing database.
 
The Company's  flagship asset  is the  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.   This project  is presently  being
assessed as to its economic merits. 
 
Loeb Aron &  Company Ltd.  and City Capital  Corporation 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.
 
Ends

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