Mako Gold Ltd (ASX:MKG) has received further strong wide, high-grade assays from ongoing reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling at its flagship Napié Project in Côte d’Ivoire with 24 of 27 RC holes at Tchaga prospect intersecting gold mineralisation.
This includes 14 holes which returned assays over 10 gram-metre intersections.
Best results are:
- 26 metres at 4.34 g/t gold from surface, including 2 metres at 16.19 g/t from surface and 3 metres at 13.58 g/t from 21 metres, and 7 metres at 2.83 g/t from 80 metres, including 1-metre at 12.48 g/t from 81 metres;
- 30 metres at 2.1 g/t from 1-metre, including 11 metres at 3.27 g/t from 10 metres;
- 26 metres at 2.02 g/t from 51 metres, including 1-metre at 29.57 g/t from 72 metres; and
- 24 metres at 1.78 g/t from 19 metres, including 10 metres at 2.89 g/t from 23 metres.
“Confidence is being validated”
Preliminary 3D exploration modelling of the mineralisation intersected thus far in drilling at Tchaga validates the company’s previous theory that stacked lodes-oriented NE host gold mineralisation.
Mako managing director Peter Ledwidge said: “Our confidence in the structural controls and continuity of mineralisation is being validated through results such as these, which demonstrate thick and high-grade gold intercepts.
“It is highly encouraging and supports our drill targeting strategy that 24 of 27 holes intersected gold, with 14 of those having significant intercepts over 10 gram-metres.”
Multiple wide gold mineralised intersections with internal high-grade intervals were returned from the stacked mineralised zones within the maiden resource target area on the Tchaga prospect.
Moving towards maiden resource
Multiple wide gold mineralised intersections with internal high-grade intervals were returned from the stacked mineralised zones within the maiden resource target area on the Tchaga prospect.
Ledwidge said: “In addition, several drill-holes returned anomalous gold assays over a significant portion of the entire hole.
“For example, NARC210 had only three one-metre intervals which assayed below the detection limit over the entire 105-metre length of the hole.
“We are highly encouraged when we repeatedly intersect broad mineralised zones in drilling, which often contain one or more high-grade zones, as we move towards a maiden resource.”
Preliminary 3D exploration target modelling (Red areas are the interpreted 0.5 g/t envelope, shaded green is the interpreted 0.2 g/t envelope and White dashed areas are future drilling target areas)
Looking forward
A second drill rig was scheduled to arrive on-site in December, however, delays were incurred due to limited drill rig availability resulting from increased exploration activity in Côte d’Ivoire.
The second rig will commence the planned 1,500 metre RC drill program on Tchaga East prospect and it will then move to the Gogbala prospect for the 5,000-metre RC/DD drill program, following the completion of the 5-kilometre-long IP survey.
The IP survey is anticipated to finish in late December/ early January.
Ledwidge said: “We will stop drilling for two weeks to give our crew a much-needed break over Christmas, however, we have a continuous stream of samples on the way to the assay lab or currently being processed, therefore we expect to receive our next batch of assays early in the new year.
“We look forward to providing updates on further RC and DD drill results at that time.
“We also look forward to the arrival of a second drill rig to drill Tchaga East and Gogbala in early January.”
The company aims to release a maiden resource at Tchaga in 2021.