Condor Gold PLC (LON:CNR, TSX:COG) said it started an 8,500 metre infill drilling programme within the permitted high-grade La Mestiza open pit at La India project, Nicaragua.
Two diamond core drill rigs are operating on Mestiza and have drilled about 600 metres so far. The programme is expected to take a further four months to complete.
The programme is seeking to upgrade the resource estimate to the indicated category for inclusion into future pre-feasibility or feasibility studies.
La Mesitza open pit hosts 92,000 tonnes at 12.1 grammes per tonne (g/t) gold for 36,000 ounces of gold in the indicated category and 341,000 tonnes at 7.7 g/t gold for 85,000 ounces of gold in the inferred category, based on a January 2019 estimate.
Condor also provided updated preliminary mine schedules on La Mestiza open pit conducted by SRK Consulting (USA) Inc.
“The schedules developed indicate a potential feed to the processing plant estimated at 499kt, at a diluted head grade of 5.37 g/t gold with potential to produce 86,000 oz gold,” said chairman and chief executive Mark Child.