Ariana Resources PLC (LON:AAU) has revealed results from the latest round of drilling on the Arzu North vein at the Kiziltepe gold mine in Turkey.
Among the highlights from infill resource drilling were seven metres grading 3.34 grams per tonne gold and 54 grams silver, nine metres at 2.44 grams gold and 41 grams silver, and eight metres at 2.88 grams gold and 156 grams silver.
Significant mineralisation has been confirmed at the far north-west end of Arzu North, which sits outside of the current resource and which has the potential to extend further by several hundred metres.
Mining activities at Arzu North and Derya are fully underway.
"The drilling results from Arzu North demonstrate that the vein system contains significant opportunities to identify further mineralised parallel structures which sit outside of the zones modelled to date,” said Ariana’s managing director Dr Kerim Sener.
“Most importantly, we now have confirmation that the Arzu North vein system is not limited on its NW end and that significant mineralisation occurs in this area, which is not currently captured by the designed pit. We will be working on ensuring we obtain forestry access to this area such that the full strike length of a further 470 metres can be tested all the way to Arzu Far North. If further economic mineralisation is determined along this trend it will have a significant positive impact on the life of mine and the future economics of the operation.”
Ariana is now working on a new mineral resource estimate for the Kiziltepe mine to include all of the new drilling results. The work will be completed once the results for the Arzu South deep drilling programme are obtained during December.
Kiziltepe is jointly owned by Ariana and its partner Proccea.