Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) has received confirmation from its joint venture partner in Ivory Coast that the previously discovered gold-in-soil anomaly at the Boundiali permit was both strong and coherent.
Predictive revealed that partner Toro Gold had received results of infill soil sampling at Boundiali, which supported and enlarged the discovery reported earlier at the project, which sits just south of Resolute Mining’s multi-million-ounce Syama gold mine in Mali.
In October last year, Toro said it had found a 5.6 kilometre long gold-in-soil anomaly, with values up to 2.1 g/t gold.
In the latest soil sampling, “a strong and coherent 2 kilometre long soil anomaly” at the southern end of the 5.6 kilometre zone has now been defined on a 200m x 50 metre sample density, which Toro plans to start drilling with a reverse circulation rig in April.
Paul Roberts, managing director, commented: “These new results confirm the importance and prospectivity of the Boundiali soil anomaly.
“The consistency of gold-in-soil results at the southern end of the zone is particularly encouraging. We anticipate the results of Toro’s drilling program with great interest,” Roberts said.
The Boundiali permit lies on the rich greenstone belt which straddles several West African nations. Apart from Resolute’s Syama, Boundiali is close to the Tongon mine, also in Ivory Coast, operated by Randgold Resources.
There are a further 11 other major gold mines, or soon-to-be gold mines, in the surrounding nations of Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Predictive is in joint venture with Toro Gold on four permits in Ivory Coast and Toro can earn a 51% interest in these permits by spending US$1 million on exploration and option payments.
Analysis
Toro previously carried out a soil sampling program covering the entire Boundiali permit on 800 metre spaced lines. Samples were collected 100 metres apart on each line and, initially, only every second sample was submitted for analysis.
Subsequently, 100m spaced infill samples were assayed selectively in areas of soil gold anomalies.
More than 2,850 infill soil samples were collected on either 400 x 100m or 200 x 50m sample spacings in areas of encouraging gold results obtained from the initial 800 x 100m sample grid. These samples were analysed for gold by fire assay at the ALS laboratory at Loughrea in Ireland.
The new infill results reinforced the earlier reported assays, highlighting three areas of coherent soil anomalies. Peak values of 2.1g/t, 1.3g/t and 1.0g/t gold were obtained in the infill sampling program.
This work has shown that the southern 2 kilometre of the largest (6 kilometre long) anomaly is of particular interest with very clear line-to-line continuity.
Elsewhere, two other coherent anomalies have been highlighted, both of which lie upstream of BLEG stream sediment anomalies recorded by Predictive in its initial exploration of the permit.
Of these, the south-eastern anomaly coincides with an isolated, high-grade rock chip sample containing 90g/t gold or 3 ounces per tonne gold.
Predictive has a West African focus with main areas of activity in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, where it has a combined ground position of 4,200 square kilometres.
Predictive aims to discover gold ore resources exceeding two million ounces which could be profitably mined in a stand-alone operation in each of its target areas. The company also holds ground in Australia.
Predictive is a technology-based explorer that aims to make high value gold ore discoveries efficiently using Predictore technology.
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