Aurion Resources (TSX-V:AU) Ltd reported impressive results for 16 holes from the winter 2022/23 drilling program on its joint venture with B2Gold Corp in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in northern Finland.
The Canadian exploration company revealed that 8,000 meters (m) of diamond core drilling have been completed on the JV properties operated by B2Gold, during the winter 2022/2023 drill campaign. Results are pending for 5,000m of drilling in the JV.
The program was designed to test new target areas and the extension of a gold mineralized system identified in 2020 in the Sinermä area. The results are for 16 scout holes over 2,192m at the Sinermä prospect which is 29 kilometers (km) west-northwest of the Helmi Discovery and 23 km south-southeast of Agnico Eagle's Kittilä Mine.
"Sinermä is one of several recent discoveries with a growing footprint of gold mineralization. The Sinermä area shares a similar geologic setting with the Helmi Discovery and hosts kilometers of untested prospective structures," said Aurion CEO Matti Talikka.
"Aurion has interest in properties covering approximately 70 km of the crustal scale structure that is considered to play a key role in the emplacement of the gold mineralization. We are excited by the scale of opportunity during the early stages of the development of a major gold belt."
Aurion said gold was intersected at shallow depths in multiple holes extending the footprint of the mineralized corridor to 450m along strike. Intercepts include 0.65 grams per ton (g/t) gold (Au) over 30.20m from 3.40m, including 5.09 g/t Au over 1.25m in hole SIN23013 and 0.54 g/t Au over 30.20m from 3.80 m, including 18.55 g/t Au over 0.40 m in SIN23020.
While offering the Aurion-B2Gold JV drill result summary, the company said the gold mineralized zones in Sinermä were initially identified by till sampling and geophysical surveys, which were followed by the excavation of five trenches and drilling of four diamond drill holes.
Results from trench channel sampling included 1.07 g/t Au over 42.40m and 1.30 g/t Au over 20.80m. A four-hole diamond core drilling program, completed in 2020, returned 0.54 g/t Au over 40.20 m from 7m from hole SIN20001, 4.11 g/t Au over 1.40m from 13.50 m from hole SIN20002 and 6.80 g/t Au over 0.75m from 110.80m from hole SIN20003.
Exploration plans
The planned JV budget for 2023 is C$10.4 million, representing B2Gold's largest greenfield exploration budget outside western Africa. Aurion said it is fully financed to contribute its 30% share of the planned expenditure.
The exploration plans include a minimum of 10,500m of diamond core drilling in target areas, including the Helmi Discovery, and the Helmi-Kutuvuoma structural corridor. It will also include scout drill holes testing multiple geochemical and geophysical targets within the 347 square kilometer property that covers the major crustal scale Sirkka Shear Zone.
In addition, work will include till sampling, bedrock sampling and geophysical surveys.
Aurion has a 30% stake in the JV which covers the Sirkka Shear Zone and includes a number of discoveries such as Helmi, Kutuvuoma, Soretiavuoma, Sinermä, Kiekerömaa and Kettukuusikko.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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