Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) has received results of additional reverse circulation (RC), diamond drill (DD) and auger holes at the Bankan Gold project in Guinea, West Africa, demonstrating that a large oxide gold zone is emerging.
Infill RC at NE Bankan has highlighted broad widths in fresh rock and ‘excellent’ hole-to-hole continuity, as well as depth continuity.
Notable results include 34 metres at 1.4 g/t gold from 179 metres, 28 metres at 1.8 g/t from 218 metres, 18 metres at 2.2 g/t from 74 metres and 52 metres at 1.5 g/t from 3 metres.
“Potential to improve economics”
Managing director Paul Roberts said: “We are highly encouraged by the results from the first two lines of infill drilling from the shallow oxide program across the central zone at NE Bankan.
“This program has shown that the NE Bankan gold zone in this area is almost continuously gold mineralised over around 200 metres of horizontal width to depths of 50-70 metres.
“What this indicates is a deep, broad zone of soft, deeply weathered bedrock material which has potential to substantially improve the project’s economics.
“Also, the step-out program drilling into the western margin of the NE Bankan gold deposit continues to intersect good grade gold in fresh rock.
“With the main program of RC pre-collars now complete, we look forward to seeing further assays from the deeper DD 'tails'."
New drilling continues to successfully identify both broad and narrow zones of gold mineralisation with all holes mineralised in part.
Next steps
The initial oxide infill drill program is ongoing at NE Bankan and is expected to continue over the coming weeks.
Following completion of this program and receipt of the deeper drilling RC and DD results, a systematic infill drill program will be planned in anticipation of the maiden resource estimate planned for mid-2021.
In addition, RC and DD programs at Bankan Creek will target extensions to the gold mineralised system along strike and at depth, and a regional air-core program will test targets beneath anomalous gold-bearing auger intercepts at the NE Bankan, Bankan Creek and Bankan West gold prospects.
Metallurgical test-work is now expected to begin in April 2021.
Power auger drilling update
Power auger drilling has been in progress since October last year. Initial drilling was on an 80 metres x 80 metres grid after which drill density was changed to a 320 metres x 80 metres grid to expand coverage over the target area more cost-effectively.
The focus to date has been to search for gold mineralisation in the area between Bankan West, Bankan Creek and NE Bankan with some drilling directly to the north of NE Bankan.
Results have been received from 230 new auger holes totalling 4,484 metres.
In addition, new results are included for 66 previously reported shallow holes which were deepened to provide an effective test below cover.
Better results included 7 metres at 4.27 g/t gold from 8 metres, 16 metres at 1.15 g/t from 8 metres and 10 metres at 0.56 g/t from 8 metres.
Follow-up exploration will comprise additional infill auger drilling where warranted, as well as deeper aircore drilling where auger infill is complete.
New auger drill targets will be prioritised for follow-up once the new geophysical survey data becomes available.