Galantas Gold Corp (AIM:GAL, TSX-V:GAL, OTCQX:GALKF) has said it will commence drilling at the newly acquired Gairloch project in Scotland during the coming weeks, with drill mobilization underway.
Galantas will drill an initial 800-metre program targeting the Kerry Road deposit, including testing the depth potential of near-surface mineralization.
Historical exploration highlights include 11.29 grams per tonne gold, 0.58% copper, 2.44 grams silver, and 0.19% zinc over 16 metres; and 3.16 grams gold, 0.90% copper, 3.39 grams silver, and 0.51% zinc over 18 metres.
The drill program aims to target the mineralized outcrops at Kerry Road, testing the deposit down dip southeastwards as well as the lateral extension to the northeast and southwest.
A deeper hole of around 350 metres is planned to test beneath the Kerry Road deposit, as historical drilling ceased after intercepting the main sulphide horizon.
This stratigraphic hole will provide Galantas with better understanding of the local geology, as well as test for other sulphide horizons expected to be found in the area.
"We are eager to kick-off drilling at this underexplored region of Scotland,” said Mario Stifano, chief executive of Galantas in a statement. “The Gairloch project offers a fantastic opportunity for Galantas to diversify and build its portfolio, having acquired some of the best exploration ground in the country in a gold-bearing volcanogenic massive sulphide setting with known mineralization over 10 kilometres and a number of high-priority targets that have yet to be tested."
The Kerry Road deposit was discovered by Consolidated Goldfields in the 1970s, at which time 87 holes were drilled over 9,189 metres.
No commercial exploration took place since then until 2018 when drilling by GreenOre Gold PLC confirmed the presence of mineralization at Kerry Road by intercepting one gram per tonne gold, 0.9% copper and 0.6% zinc over 17 metres.
Rock chip sampling conducted by GreenOre in 2018 also identified elevated levels of cobalt in bedrock.