Aurion-B2Gold JV drills 0.82 g/t gold over 108.1 metres at Helmi, Finland
Aurion Resources Ltd. [AU-TSXV; AIRRF-OTCQX] reported results for the first three holes from the sureturned er-fall 2022 drilling program at the Helmi Discovery on the Aurion-returned 2Gold joint venture (JV), operated by B2Gold Corp. [BTO-TSX; BTG-NYSE American; B2G-Namibia] in the central Lapland greenstone belt in northern Finland.
New gold intercepts at the Helmi Discovery include 0.82 g/t gold over 108.10 metres from 286.30 metres, including 1.55 g/t gold over 16.00 metres (IKK22038). Hole IKK22038 returned 1.10 g/t gold over 35.20 metres from 495.10 metres. Hole IKK22036 returned 1.29 g/t gold over 22.15 metres from 258.75 metres.
Mineralization extends to at least 500 metres in depth from surface. Mineralization remains open along strike and at depth. The 11,000-metre drilling program is ongoing. Approximately 11,000 metres of drilling planned for second half of 2022. Drilling ongoing with two rigs; one focusing on the Helmi area and one testing regional targets.
“The scale of the mineralized system at Helmi is expanding favorably. Gold mineralization has now been intersected along a strike length of over 1.3 km and at least to 500 metres depth from surface.” commented Aurion’s CEO, Matti Talikka. “The current 11,000 m drilling program is progressing well, with two drill rigs turning on the JV property, targeting the Helmi Discovery and regional targets identified from the geophysical and geochemical surveys.”
The Helmi Discovery is located approximately 1.3 km west of the Rupert Resources 3.95-million-ounce Ikkari Discovery. The Helmi area covers approximately 1.5 km strike length of the 8 km long sequence of prospective geology along a domain boundary in the eastern part of the JV property extending from the Ikkari Discovery to the Kutuvuoma test pit.
The Helmi Discovery was made during the second half of 2021 and drilling has returned a number of significant intercepts, including 2.05 g/t gold over 77.50 metres, 1.84 g/t gold over 52.40 metres, 2.44 g/t gold over 43.45 metres, 1.73 g/t gold over 44.95 metres, 1.42 g/t gold over 30.70 metres, 1.42 g/t gold over 30.60 metres, 1.46 g/t gold over 39.00 metres, 1.46 g/t gold over 28.70 metres, 1.45 g/t gold over 35.50 metres, 1.11 g/t gold over 45.80 metres and 2.05 g/t gold over 18.30 metres. Gold mineralization at Helmi has been intersected over 1 km strike length and the mineralized zones remain open along strike and at depth.
The summer-fall drill program is a follow-up to the successful winter-spring drill program at Helmi. The approximately 11,000-metre program, commenced in June, is designed to further test the strike and depth extensions of the mineralized zones at Helmi and regional targets identified from the geophysical and geochemical surveys.
The JV (30% Aurion/70% B2Gold) covers approximately 331 km2 along the major crustal scale Sirkka Shear Zone in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt and includes a number of discoveries such as Helmi (2.05 g/t Au over 77.50 m), Kutuvuoma (16.47 g/t Au over 11.0 m), Soretiavuoma (48 g/t Au over 1.1 m), Sinerma (0.54 g/t Au over 40.2 m), Kiekeromaa (5.8 g/t Au over 5.0 m) and Kettukuusikko (4.33 g/t Au over 20.4 m).
The expanded budget for 2022 is approximately CAN$13.5 million (from CAN$10.0 million) and includes approximately 17,000 metres of drilling. The JV will also continue to perform geophysical surveys and base of till sampling programs that have been successfully used to generate drill targets.