Panthera Resources PLC said Leachwell testing of selected samples from the 2023 drilling programme at the Kalaka Project in Mali were consistent with consistent with previous fire assay results.
Leachwell analysis provides a preliminary indication of leachability by conventional processing and is an essential milestone to advance the K1A target area as a potential bulk volume, low-grade gold development project, said Panthera.
At Kalaka, Panthera and DFR Gold each have 40% interest, held through their shareholdings in Maniger Ltd.
The remaining 20% interest is owned by local partner Golden Spear Mali.
Panthera, which operates the project, added: “The very positive Leachwell test results provide support to the strategy of continuing and expanding work at Kalaka, and in particular at the K1A target and extensions.
“One of the principal elements in being able to report a JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate is that the competent person must be reasonably assured at each step in the estimation process, that such a resource will over time, prove to be commercially viable.
“The Leachwell results give encouragement to that proposition, even at the expected low-grade level (of the order of 0.5 g/t gold) of the bulk tonnage target.”
Elsewhere, at the Bido project in Burkina Faso, Panthera said it had now completed its earn-in to hold an 80% interest in the project