MRG Metals Ltd (ASX:MRQ) is about to start an infill aircore drilling program at the high-grade Nhacutse Prospect within its corridor south exploration licence in Mozambique.
The drilling is designed to define high-grade heavy mineral sands (HMS) mineralised zones identified from target testing and extension drilling programs.
Assuming there are no mobilisation issues, MRG will start drilling within three weeks, planning to drill 14 infill aircore holes totalling about 600 metres.
The program will focus on two zones, where very high THM grades were returned from previous hand auger and aircore drilling programs.
To deliver second resource
MRG Metals chairman Andrew Van Der Zwan said: “We are confident that the upcoming infill aircore drilling program at Nhacutse will result in MRG being able to deliver our second mineral resource estimate from our corridor projects.
“We are following the same infill program design that proved successful in defining our initial JORC resource at Koko Massava, which we announced in April 2020.
“With the rig due to be mobilised to site shortly, we are in a very enviable position for a small-cap company in being able to declare two resource estimates covering separate areas of our portfolio in such a short space of time.
“This is not only a reflection of the quality of our Mozambican assets but also the diligent work programs and day to day activities being carried out by the entire MRG team.
Higher grades likely
These two target zones have a combined target area of around 2.4 square kilometres with 13 previous aircore holes within these two zones returning a weighted average grade of 5.66 % THM over 32 metres from the surface, with several holes showing THM grades of 6% THM from surface to approximately 30 metres depth.
The combined area of these very high-grade zones represents an excellent opportunity for MRG to deliver its second mineral resource, with assay data from existing holes suggesting a higher THM grade than that of Koko Massava mineral resource estimate of 1.423 million tonnes at 5.2% THM.
Drillhole spacing within the very high grade (VHG) zones will be in the order of 250 metres by less than 500 metres, in line with MRG’s program at Koko Massava, which proved adequate to deliver a JORC mineral resource.
Heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) samples are being investigated from four aircore holes spread throughout the Nhacutse VHG zones to determine the percentage of Valuable Heavy Mineral (VHM).
The results from this study will be combined with additional mineralogical work to support the commissioning of a resource estimate.