Antilles Gold Ltd (ASX:AAU) has received strong high-grade drilling results of up to 27.5 metres at 7.2 g/t gold from 146 metres at the La Demajagua gold/silver deposit in Cuba.
Approximately 10,000 metres in 90 holes of the current 15,000-metre program have been drilled, with completion expected in early August 2021.
Within the 27.5-metre intersection was 7 metres at 16.94 g/t while the same hole also returned 9.5 metres from 188.5 metres at 3.77 g/t.
Results from 14 of 17 cored holes have been analysed to date with other highlights of:
- 31.5 metres at 4.95 g/t from 133 metres including 2.8 metres at 29.9 g/t;
- 3 metres at 25.5 g/t from 80.5 metres including 1.5 metres 40.4 g/t;
- 31 metres at 4.97 g/t from 112 metres including 5 metres at 11.02 g/t;
- 20 metres at 6.3 g/t from 148 metres including 3.5 metres at 12.05 g/t; and
- 12 metres at 8.35 g/t from 77.5 metres including 3 metres at 19.25 g/t.
Silver is also evident in numerous intercepts with grades of up to 736 g/t.
Pleased with results
Antilles Gold executive chairman Brian Johnson said: “We are pleased to receive the first set of results from the current drilling program and are impressed at this stage of the program with the high-grade of ore that could be available for a straightforward and low-cost open pit mining operation at La Demajagua.”
High-grade mineralisation
According to the company, results to date have reflected high-grade mineralisation evidenced in 50,000 metres of drilling of the La Demajagua ore body undertaken by Canadian mining companies.
Samples are being analysed at Activation Laboratories in Toronto.
The current drilling program and a 10,000-metre infill program scheduled for early 2022 are aimed at establishing JORC-compliant resources and finalising planning for the proposed open pit mine at La Demajagua.
Approximately 2,000 kilograms of representative drill core will be air-freighted to a laboratory in either Australia or Canada around October 2021 for metallurgical test-work and the production of concentrate samples for marketing purposes.
Part of bankable feasibility study
Additional holes will be drilled in August/September 2021 for geotechnical and hydrogeology investigations, which will form part of a bankable feasibility study (BFS) for the proposed open pit mine.
The BFS will be compiled by an Australian engineering group and should be completed in time for a development decision for the La Demajagua mine in quarter four of 2022.