Alpha Exploration drills 10 g/t gold over 9 metres at Kerkasha, Eritrea
Alpha Exploration Ltd. [TSXV-ALEX] reported results from its recent drilling program completed over the district-scale Aburna gold prospect on the company’s 100%-owned, 771 km2 Kerkasha project in southern Eritrea.
Aburna is an orogenic-style gold prospect stretching approximately 7km northeast and 2km wide based on elevated gold in soils, geological mapping, trenching and geophysical surveys as well as localized drilling. To date, Alpha’s exploration has established 6 different priority targets at Aburna. These latest results are from 33 holes (5,565 meters) drilled in 4 of these priority targets, mostly from the Northeast Area (17 holes), 8 holes from the Central Area, 7 from the Celebration Hill Area and 1 one from the Hill 52 Area.
The purpose of this latest drilling program was to gain a greater understanding of the controls of mineralization in the 4 areas drilled and to try and establish strike continuity by drilling a number of “scout holes” with a large step-out from known gold mineralization. In the Northeast Area prospect this drilling has been successful in supporting the potential for a 1.2km long mineralized target as identified from recent GAIP (Gradient Array Induced Polarization) and ground magnetics surveys. Within this 1.2km long target, drillhole ABR078 (9m at 5.99 g/t Au) has extended a significant “shoot” of gold mineralization to over 200 metres in length and as defined previously in drillholes ABR037 (16m at 14.0 g/t Au) ABR043 (11m at 3.99 g.t Au) and ABR044 (13m at 4.24 g/t Au).
In addition, drillhole ABR092 (9m at 10 g/t Au) along with a prior reported hole from this program ABR069 (6m at 5 g/t Au) have now indicated a separate, mineralized structure over 200 metres in strike length. Separately, drillhole ANR079 (30m at 0.48 g/t Au) has extended mineralization by 400 metres along the main 1.2km trend in Northeast Area. Follow-up trenching has now been completed on these targets with results expected in due course.
Hightlights: 9 metres averaging 5.99 g/t gold from drillhole ABR078 (Northeast Area); 9 metres averaging 10.00 g/t gold from drillhole ABR092 (Northeast Area); 3 metres averaging 53.39 g/t gold from drillhole ABD008 (Northeast Area); and two significant mineralized structures defined at Northeast Area >400 metres in combined strike length.
Drilling supports the potential of 1.2km mineralized target in Northeast Area (includes 1m at 158 g/t Au).
Michael Hopley, Alpha President & CEO said, “The Aburna Gold Prospect is so large that it is important that Alpha is able to narrow its focus on the most promising targets. The results of this recent drilling program including 9m at 10 g/t gold from drillhole ABR092, have established the Northeast Area as one of the most encouraging targets. Follow-up trenching has already been completed and an aggressive drilling program is planned – subject to financing – to start later this year. The next drilling program will focus on three principal targets, covering a combined strike length of 5km and have been generated from all work to date on the prospect.
“The objective will be to further define mineralized lenses at Aburna prior to resource drilling which is expected to begin, subject to financing, later in 2024. We look forward to updating shareholders with further results in due course.”
Twenty trenches totalling 967 metres have been completed across the three primary targets interpreted from the GAIP survey. The trenches were typically 40m to 50m long and spaced approximately 200 metres from each other, orientated NW-SE, perpendicular to the interpreted strike of mineralization. Assay results are expected in late 2023.
The Aburna Gold Prospect is a new gold discovery where recent drilling has established a high-grade discovery with grades including 16m at 14.07g/t Au, 9m at10 g/t Au and 23m at 6.74 g/t Au. The Anagulu Gold-Copper Prospect includes recent drilling intersections of 108m at 1.24 g/t Au and 0.60% Cu and and 49m at 2.42 g/t Au and 1.10% Cu within a major porphyry unit mapped over at least 2km. The company has also advanced the Tolegimja VMS Copper-Zinc-Gold Prospect and over 17 other gold prospects since listing in 2021.