Awalé Resources drilling BBM and Charger Zones, Odienné JV Project, Côte d’Ivoire
Awalé Resources Ltd. [TSXV: ARIC] reported the start of drilling at the BBM and Charger Zones within the Odienné Joint Venture (OJV) in Côte d’Ivoire. The 4000-metre diamond drilling program is the final phase of 2024 and is fully funded by Newmont. Drilling is expected to continue into 2025, with both diamond and reverse circulation drilling.
Highlighted results from the previous program included: 59 metres of 14.7 g/t gold from 96 metres downhole in OEDD-100 at Charger; 29m of 20 g/t Au from 149m downhole in OEDD-88 at Charger and 35m of 2.2 g/t Au, 0.48% copper, 567 parts per million (ppm) molybdenum and 1.9 g/t silver in OEDD-89 from 318 metres downhole at BBM.
“This program is anticipated to build on the success of the most recent phase of drilling, where BBM continues to demonstrate robust grade continuity and Charger delivers some of highest-grade intercepts in West Africa over the past year. Both these Zones are interpreted to have significant expansion potential and drilling is expected to continue throughout the 2025 dry season. We anticipate other high priority drill ready targets such as Lando, Empire, and the BBM satellites to come into play during the 2025 field season. In addition to the JV drill program, we aim to drill the first holes on our 100%-owned Fremen target in Q1 2025 and commence exploration activities on our other 100%-owned permits. The Awalé team is excited to move forward on what we believe will be another successful field season,” said Andrew Chubb, CEO.
Three thousand metres (3000m) are planned to test the continuity of the BBM zone as well as expand the 600-metre defined panel to the northwest and southeast, with one thousand metres (1000m) allocated for Charger to test the new geology fold model where the broad high-grade intercepts are hosted within fold hinges and rapidly advance the volume potential of this target.
The Charger Zone is one of four grassroots discoveries made by Awalé at Odienné. Charger is a discovery that has delivered multiple high-grade results from drilling which includes the following high-grade intercepts in a breccia to the south of that intercepted in OEDD-83 and OEDD-100. OEDD-83: 57m of 26 g/t Au from 164m downhole, including 32m of 45.7 g/t Au from 165m downhole. OEDD-88: 29m of 20 g/t Au from 149m downhole, including 8m of 39.5 g/t Au from 149m downhole.
OEDD-84: 70m of 1.2 g/t Au from 143m downhole. OEDD-100: 59m of 14.7 g/t Au from 140m downhole. OEDD-85: 21m of 1.7 g/t Au from 177m downhole and 10m of 7.8 g/t Au from 202m downhole.
OERC-132: 32m of 3.0 g/t Au from 74m downhole , including 4m of 12.4 g/t Au from 78m downhole. OEDD-45 (step back from OERC 132) contains three high-grade intervals within a 65m wide zone of mineralization which included 12m of 4.9 g/t Au from 89m downhole, 13m of 1.3 g/t Au from 114m downhole, and 21m of 1.3 g/t Au from 133m downhole. Hole OEDD-53 (50m step back from OEDD-45): 32m of 1.5 g/t Au from 215m downhole, including 3m of 5.2g/t Au from 77m downhole
The company has also determined the true width of the breccia between holes OEDD-83 and OEDD-100 to be over 30 metres, and the intercept in OEDD-88 being a further 25 metres away from OEDD-100. This drilling has established a 200-metre corridor of breccia mineralization where high-grade mineralization is thought to be controlled by folding and hosted in the hinge zone of these folds. Moreover, the Company has gained a clearer understanding of the unique and complex characteristics of the Charger target, presenting an opportunity to test the fold model within the current corridor as well as step-out and test for other parallel zones.
BBM is an Awalé grassroots discovery. Gold and copper mineralization and alteration in the BBM system are controlled by a northwest striking shear zone that follows an intrusive/sedimentary contact. This shear zone lies parallel to an interpreted major crustal boundary and forms an 8-km-long geochemical gold trend in termitaria and soil. The 6,808 metres of drilling in 28 holes completed to date have intercepted the target shear zone and covers only 2 km of an 8-km trend. Awalé has continued to expand the potential of the BBM discovery with further intersections along strike from the initial discovery holes. Results also show there is increasing grade with depth. The company has completed 3 phases of drilling.
Mineralization at BBM is steeply dipping (70 to 80 degrees) with a gentle plunge (45 to 55 degrees) toward the northwest. Recent interpretation suggests this plunge is controlled by isoclinal folding withing the BBM shear. This fold geometry, along with the frequency of the folds, can have a significant impact on the grade and volume of mineralization.
Current drilling will test this hypothesis and understanding the fold geometry and the controls on higher grade gold can have a positive effect on both the grade and volume of mineralization at BBM.
Drilling completed to date has consistently confirmed grade continuity within the distinct silica-biotite alteration system. The fold model suggests the potential for parallel shoots within a core zone of robust mineralization that now exceeds 600m in length with an open vertical depth of 330m, true widths of the mineralized envelope are up to 50m. Mineralization also remains open outside the BBM discovery zone, with potential for other plunging shoots within the initial 2-km discovery as well as satellite discoveries along strike. The company will continue with further step-out and infill drilling throughout the 2024-2025 field season. Prior to drilling the extension targets, an Induced Polarization (IP) program is planned to aid in drill targeting in the satellite areas northwest of the BBM zone. This IP survey on the Joint Venture permits will complement and be completed alongside the IP planned over the 100%-owned Awalé ‘Sienso’ permit which abuts the BBM discovery zone.
Exploration activities are currently underway in the underexplored regions of Côte d’Ivoire, where the company is focused on the Odienné Copper-Gold Project covering 2,489 km2 across seven permits. This includes 796 km2 in two permits held under the Awalé-Newmont Joint Venture (OJV). Awalé manages all exploration activities over the OJV, with funding provided by Newmont Joint Ventures Limited.
Awalé has discovered four gold, gold-copper, and gold-copper-silver-molybdenum discoveries within the OJV and has recently commenced exploration on its 100%-owned properties following an $11.5 million capital raise in April 2024.