Mineral Deposits updates on Sabodala Gold project

Mineral Deposits Limited announces that a 46-hole, 2,570 metre RC drilling programme designed to test the resource model in the upper benches of mining Phase 1 has been completed at Sabodala. Results confirm the resource model grades and tonnages with additional mineralisation identified in several holes adding confidence to a successful start-up of the Sabodala open pit mine.

In preparation for owner mining scheduled to begin in June, BCM is presently under contract to mine waste from the Sabodala pit and prepare working benches for MDL’s newly purchased Komatsu mining fleet. To date this year, more than one million tonnes of waste have been added to the base of the ROM pad.

Ore mining is on schedule to begin in June with the target of 500,000 ore tonnes placed on the pad prior to mill start-up later this year.

Elsewhere on the 3km x 7km Sabodala mining concession, drilling continues to test extensions to the known gold mineralisation at Dinkokhono, Niakafiri and Sutuba. Results are pending. MDL expects to spend some US$5 million on exploration/resource definition in the environs of the Sabodala Gold Project in 2008.