Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) is encouraged by initial stream sediment, rock and soil geochemical results from the Kankan and Nonta projects in the West African country of Guinea.
Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) stream sediment sampling over large catchment areas on these properties has identified highly encouraging gold stream sediment anomalies.
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Nonta rock-chip sampling returned up to 29 g/t gold and identified a new prospect extending at least 300 metres in strike upstream of a major BLEG anomaly and open to the northwest and southeast.
Soil sampling results from Kankan revealed a 6-kilometre-long zone of gold-in-soil anomalies peaking at 570ppb.
Best BLEG results
Managing director Paul Roberts said the early results from Kankan and Nonta supported the highly prospective nature of Predictive’s Siguiri Basin targets.
“The stream sediment values reported for Nonta and Kankan are the best results Predictive has received compared with previous BLEG stream sediment surveys we have completed in West Africa in the past five years.
“The peak BLEG gold values at Nonta and Kankan are 223ppb and 87ppb gold respectively.
“By comparison, our Nyangboue gold discovery on the Boundiali project in Cote D’Ivoire was located upstream of BLEG stream sediment results with a maximum value of 24ppb gold.”
Predictive now holds 400 square kilometres of prospective landholdings in four projects all with widespread artisanal gold workings.
Three are within the Siguiri Basin which hosts AngloGold Ashanti Limited’s (NYSE:AU) (JSE:ANG) plus-10 million-ounce Siguiri mine.
BLEG an effective tool
Predictive utilises BLEG stream sediment sampling as a key first-pass reconnaissance tool on new properties as an effective, low-cost and time-efficient method for screening properties to determine their potential for large bodies of near-surface gold mineralisation.
The company generally focuses its follow-up work on catchment areas yielding BLEG values at or above 15ppb.
Roberts said: “The company will systematically and aggressively follow up these results and complete reconnaissance geochemistry of our new projects in Guinea.”
Subject to continuing positive results, the company plans to trench and/or reconnaissance drill the better targets later in 2019.
Reconnaissance authorisations granted
Predictive has also been granted reconnaissance authorisations for the Yomadou and Boroto prospects in and around the Siguiri Basin.
Exploration has started on these areas which total 200 square kilometres.
Guinea tenement locations on geological map background.
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Boroto, which is within the basin, is close to the Nonta and Souloko authorisations and is considered prospective for gold.
Yomadou, which is in older Archaean rocks south of the basin, has potential for gold and nickel-copper-platinum-palladium mineralisation.
Additionally, officials in Guinea have converted the Kankan and Nonta projects from reconnaissance authorisations to exploration permits.
Roberts added: “With the addition of the Yomadou and Boroto authorisations, we have a strong foothold in Guinea with four 100%-owned properties in a country which we see as a new frontier for gold discovery in West Africa.”