African Gold Group drills 22.2 metres of 5.25 g/t gold in Mali
African Gold Group Inc. [AGG-TSXV; AGGFF-OTC] has reported the final drill results from its extensive diamond drilling program at its Kobada gold project in southern Mali, West Africa. The company is currently working on an all-encompassing definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the project, expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2020, incorporating the results from phase 1 and 2 drilling campaigns.
Highlights include 14.72 g/t gold over 3.15 metres, including 39.70 g/t gold over 1.16 metres from 63.85-67 metres in hole KB19-P2-40); 1.18 g/t gold over 3.99 metres, including 1.83 g/t gold over 1.9 metres from 36.91-40.90 metres in hole KB19-P2-40); 5.25 g/t gold over 22.20 metres, including 2.70 g/t gold over 1.1 metres and 103.59 g/t gold over 1.0 metre from 78.40-100.60 metres in hole KB19-P2-41); 1.57 g/t gold over 23.80 metres, including 6.42 g/t gold over 1.9 metres and 17.40 g/t gold over 1.1 metres from 110.50-134.30 metres in hole KB19-P2-41).
The company began drilling at its Kobada concession in September 2019, and to date has completed 11,428 metres of diamond core drilling. The main aim of the drilling campaign was to confirm the historical resource model from the 2016 Kobada gold project feasibility study, increase the conversion of resources to reserves and grow the resource base along identified shear zones.
The drilling program has continued to successfully intersect high-grade mineralization within the main shear zone and its southern and northern extensions. Continued mineralization in previously untested areas remains open along strike in both directions and downdip beyond the saprolitic zone.
Furthermore, the company intends to step away from the main shear zone to test the neighbouring and parallel-striking Gosso shear zone, which has recently been exposed by shallow artisanal mining. Grab samples from the Gosso shear zone have been sent to assay labs for testing, with results expected imminently.
Dr. Andreas Rompel, vice-president, exploration, said, “We are extremely happy to have closed a gap area without previous drilling and have done so with high-grade intersections, thereby adding valuable resources. Now we are in a great position to work on a new resource estimate and subsequently on the reserve conversion. What is most exciting is that we have only drilled approximately four km of 30 km of shear zones identified on our concessions, which would indicate significant upside with further exploration.”
The diamond drilling campaign across the Kobada main shear zone was an important part of the company’s strategy to update the historical resource from 2016 and to increase the life-of-mine for the future operation. The drilling program infilled and extended the mineralized zones south and north of the Kobada main shear zone. In particular, recent high-grade gold results from Phase 2 drilling campaign highlight the potential of the northern extension of the deposit and it remains open at depth. Some of the significant intersects from phase 1 and 2 drilling campaigns included 1.67 g/t gold over 21.60 metres, 29.70 g/t gold over 1.05 metres, and 124.85 g/t gold over 1.0 metre.
These results will be incorporated into an updated resource estimate (open-pit mining), expected to be released within the next few weeks. The updated mineral resource and reserve estimates and subsequent open-pit optimizations will provide the basis for the life-of-mine planning process and advancement of the definitive feasibility study.