Asia Energy began its drilling program this year to identify coal thickness, depth and quality in compliance with JORC standards. The company plans to establish a 15 million tonne per annum coal mine, as well as the development of a power station complex with a generating capacity of up to 2,500 MW for the next 40 years.
The Asia Energy diamond drilling program, undertaken by DrillCorp, consists of 60 holes (approximately 15,000 metres of drilling). Two rigs are working on-site with further three rigs en route from Kuala Lumpur.
The first two holes of this detailed drilling program have just been completed and were drilled within the known coal basin limits.
Diamond Drill Hole AEN2, an infill hole drilled in the eastern portion of the Phulbari coal basin, intersected a 41.47 metre coal seam thickness in two close proximity intersections from 206.96 - 218.82 metres (roof seam) and from 222.50 - 252.11 metres (main seam).
The roof seam is separated from the main seam by 3.68 metres of sandstone and mudstone. The main seam thickness is 29.61 metres with a 1.69 metre transitional high ash section at the top, leaving a 27.92 metre seam that correlates closely with the first hole cored (AEN1), located about 1.3km to the north-west. AEN2 is located 400 metres to the southwest of BHP13, which reported a total coal thickness of 45.25 metres in two close proximity seams.
Independent consultants GHD International have tested 17 coal samples, five from roof seam and 12 from the floor seam.
These samples are scheduled to arrive at ACIRL’s facility in Brisbane, Australia at the end of September for further testing.
Hole AEN1, drilled in the north-west portion of the Phulbari coal basin, encountered 21.95 metres (72 feet) of coal at a depth of 177.85 metres. This main seam is described as uniform, almost free of any stone bands (there are two sub five centimetre bands in the entire 21.95 metre section).
Hole AEN1 also encountered a further seven indications of thin high ash coal occurring below the main seam between 199.8 metres and 213.2 metres. Both of these seams have also been sampled and dispatched to ACIRL for testing.
