ACN 121 539 375 Principal Office: Level 2, 23 Ventnor Avenue West Perth 6005 Western Australia Phone: + 61894817344 Fax: + 61894817355 Email: info@westafricanresources.com Web: www.westafricanresources.com 2 A u g u s t 2 0 1 0 ASX RELEASE / MEDIA RELEASE 2,810 ppb gold in shallow auger samples Four new parallel zones defined up to 1500m in strike Strongly anomalous gold results of 2,810ppb, 821 ppb, 401 ppb, 344 ppb returned from shallow auger drilling at the Barnstoneworth Prospect Barnstoneworth Prospect now up to 1500m long with multiple zones over 500m across strike Four new east-west trending zones defined between 500m and 1500m in strike length; including two strongly anomalous + 100ppb gold zones coincident with high-grade rockchips from artisanal workings New zones 500m along strike from high grade rockchips and significant reverse circulation (RC) results at the Meguet Prospect Closely-spaced infill auger and RAB drilling to be completed with company-owned rigs following wet-season Page: 1
Perth-based gold exploration company West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) is pleased to announce that strongly anomalous auger results have been returned from its Barnstoneworth Prospect, located 500m east of the previously identified Meguet Prospect, in Burkina Faso. In June 2010 West African completed detailed auger sampling on a 200m by 50m grid over an area of 1.2km by 0.8km. Significant results have been returned including peak results of 2,810ppb Au, 821ppb Au, 401ppb Au and 344ppb Au. New auger results indicate at least four east-west trending anomalous zones occur that have the potential to extend into areas of RC drilling in the Meguet Prospect with strike lengths ranging between 500m and 1500m as shown in Figure 1. Two strongly anomalous zones of +100ppb Au in soil occur in the northern portion of the Barnstoneworth prospect area. Auger drilling in these zones returned peak values of 2810ppb Au and 821ppb over 600m strike, and 344ppb Au and 131ppb Au over 500m strike. These anomalous trends have also returned rockchip results of up to 6.49g/t Au, and 8.45g/t Au respectively, from artisanal workings. These two zones represent immediate RC drill targets, and will be tested following the west season later this year. Close-spaced infill auger and RAB drilling will be completed over the Meguet Prospect in October 2010, which will aim to link the mineralised zones recently defined at Barnstoneworth. The core of the Barnstoneworth anomaly was defined by West African in 2009 within 400m by 100m spaced auger sampling, returning peak gold results of 141ppb Au, 318ppb Au and 57ppb Au over 1.5km strike (southwest to northeast). Sampling along the northwestern flank of the anomaly returned rockchip results of 6.49g/t Au and 8.45g/t Au from quartz veins exposed in artisanal workings. Initial interpretation indicates a dominant east-west orientation of anomalous trends within the auger results, which is supported by recent mapping and re-sampling of the RC drilling completed at Meguet (ASX: 7 July 2010). Infill auger and RAB drilling will continue through to 2011 using Company-owned and operated drill rigs, following the current wet season (August September). Detailed auger drilling will also test over 20 high priority targets defined in 2009-10 by West African, which total 30km strike of auger anomalies as shown in Figures 2 and 3. An RC drilling program had been planned to commence at Meguet and Fatmatenga on July 20 th, however due to significant rainfall in the region encompassing the Boulsa Gold Project, this has been postponed. The drilling program will be redesigned and expanded to encompass the new gold mineralised zones defined at Barnstoneworth, and has been rescheduled for November 2010. Ends Page: 2
Background Information on the Boulsa Gold Project The Boulsa Gold Project in Burkina Faso covers some 4,750km 2 and 150km of strike length of early Proterozoic Birimian greenstone belts which are highly prospective for gold mineralisation. Significant results have already been returned from the Project, which is located immediately along strike from the emergent 2.71Moz Au Bomboré Deposit. Results from historic drilling at Boulsa include 8m at 12.47g/t Au, and the grade and tenor has been confirmed by West African Resources with RC results returning further high grade intercepts including 8m at 10.32g/t Au. Recent wide-spaced auger geochemical sampling also completed in 2009 by West African Resources tested 25km of greenstone belt strike in the southwest portion of the project, representing less than 10% of the current project area. This work has delineated 25 robust targets, many coincident with artisanal mining activity at the Moktedu Trend and Meguet Trend target areas. These targets total 30km strike of anomalies and will be rapidly advanced in 2010 and 2011. Further information is available at www.westafricanresources.com. For further information contact: Richard Hyde Nathan Ryan Managing Director Investor Relations Ph: 0413874740 Ph: 0420582887 Website: www.westafricanresources.com Email: info@westafricanresources.com Competent Person s statement Information in this announcement that relates to exploration results or mineral resources is based on information compiled by Mr Richard Hyde, a Director, who is a Member of The Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Hyde has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). Mr Hyde consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the statements based on his information in the form and context in which they appear. Statements regarding West African Resources plans with respect to its mineral properties are forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that West African Resources plans for development of its mineral properties will proceed as currently expected. There can also be no assurance that West African Resources will be able to confirm the presence of additional mineral deposits, that any mineralisation will prove to be economic or that a mine will successfully be developed on any of West African Resources mineral properties. Page: 3
Figure 1: Meguet - Barnstoneworth Exploration Summary Plan Page: 4
Figure 2: Meguet and Moktedu Trend Geochem Targets Page: 5
Figure 3: Boulsa Project Summary Plan over Regional Airborne Magnetics Page: 6