Robust Resources Limited (‘Robust' or ‘the Company') is pleased to report that it has made significant progress strengthening its management team and expanding its company-owned drilling rig fleet to fast track exploration and development activities at its flagship Romang Island Project in Indonesia.
As Robust embarks on a 27,000 metre, $10 million exploration program for calendar 2011, it has taken the decision to strengthen its senior management team so it has the right skills base in place to support the next growth phase of its Indonesian projects.
Gordon Lewis has been appointed Chief Operating Officer based in Jakarta. A qualified engineer and mine manager, Gordon has over 30 years experience in mining and exploration, and has spent over 10 years working in Indonesia across on a number of gold production and exploration projects. He was the founding mine manager of Rio Tinto's +7 million ounce Kelian gold mine in Kalimantan, Indonesia, and was also the last person to build an operating gold mine in Indonesia, the Avocet Mining PLC Lanut mine in Sulawesi.
Robust is also pleased to announce that Warwick Browne has joined the company as Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) Manager. A science graduate with a PhD in Natural Resource Management, Warwick, has more than 10 years' experience working in Asia assisting in the development of effective HSEC plans.
With a workforce of more than 100, and a local community of 4,000 people on Romang Island, Warwick's skills will be instrumental in ensuring Robust successfully manages all necessary community, environmental and safety issues associated with its development program.
The Company has also announced that it has purchased its seventh diamond core drill rig to service North Romang where it is targeting a gold-rich copper porphyry system. Robust is currently undertaking an IPResistivity survey to identify suitable drill targets. Early feedback has been positive with a number of anomalies identified. The rig and six months of supplies has arrived on site and upon receipt of the first phase of data, drilling will commence immediately. Robust's Managing Director Gary Lewis said: "We have made significant operational progress in the last quarter, and along with some pleasing drilling results, we are well placed to move to the next stage of development.
"Gordon's and Warwick's skills significantly strengthen our senior management capabilities, and the fact that both have operated in Asia for a number of years, brings important knowledge and in-country expertise to Robust."
Mr. Lewis added that Robust is in the final stages of selling all of its non-Indonesian exploration assets which will result in the company securing an equity stake in an Australian focused gold exploration company. In exchange for selling its Bauloora tenement (EL6414), Robust will hold 1.6 million shares at 25 cents per share in Gossan Hill Gold Limited, which is expected to list on the Australian Securities Exchange this year.
"Given the success and potential of the Romang Island project, we have taken the decision to focus our efforts on highly prospective and underexplored terrains such as Indonesia, and specifically this project. We expect to announce more drilling results in the coming weeks as we continue to work towards delineating a maiden JORC mineral resource."
