Marvel Gold Ltd’s (ASX:MVL) (FRA:GR2) multi-element soil geochemistry and ground magnetics programs have highlighted several drill-ready targets at the Tabakorole Gold Project joint venture in southern Mali.
Around 4,267 soil samples and 5,300-line kilometres of high-resolution ground magnetics have been collected as part of an ongoing regional exploration program.
The targets exhibit a similar geochemical signature to the Tabakorole deposit, being anomalous in gold, arsenic and tungsten.
All soil samples were subjected to fire assay for gold and an ultra-low detection 48-element analysis to establish the pathfinder element anomalism in the broader Tabakorole structural corridor.
The project is held under two separate joint ventures - the Oklo Resources Ltd (ASX:OKU) JV (MVL 80% interest) and the Altus Strategies PLC (LON:ALS) plc JV (MVL currently 51%).
Results reinforce prospectivity
Speaking to the results, managing director Phil Hoskins said: “We already have a large and growing resource at Tabakorole, expected to exceed 1 million ounces when upgraded, following this season’s drilling.
“We recognised, however, that the continued growth of the project would come from additional gold discoveries, an outcome we were confident of achieving, with the project being located in a prospective structural setting proximal to the Bannifin Shear Zone.
“These soil results reinforce that prospectivity, delineating numerous targets with strong coincident multi-element anomalism across the 392 square kilometre landholding, including several Tabakorole 'lookalike' signatures.
“The high-resolution ground magnetics provides the structural data to deliver robust targets and increased confidence in making new discoveries.”
Targets within five regional trends
Mineralised pulp samples returned from recent Tabakorole drill programs were also analysed using a portable XRF to determine the deposit signature.
The soil geochemistry outlined more than 40 discrete targets exhibiting multi-element anomalism within five regional trends:
- The Groot Trend - these targets are within the same structural trend as Tabakorole;
- Agard Trend - these targets sit on the southern boundary of the Tabakorole structural corridor;
- The Astro Trend - this is a continuation of the Asgard trend, however, the main anomaly appears to represent an instrusive body, which is anomalous in tungsten and tellurium;
- The Wakanda Trend - this trend sits on the northern margin of a very large granite batholith and targets are anomalous in arsenic, which supports tungsten and tellurium; and
- Several targets have been found within close proximity to the Tabakorole resource, exhibiting a similar signature.
Next steps
Marvel Gold expects to have completed around 9,000 metres of RC or diamond drilling by August 2021, aimed at growing the resource past 1 million ounces.
To date, the company has concluded 2,100 metres of a planned 3,000-metre diamond drilling program with results pending.
Targets generated from the soil geochemistry and geophysics will be followed up with mapping and rock chip geochemistry where outcrop is encountered.
Structural data from the high-resolution ground magnetics will also be used to prioritise targets for drilling, anticipated to begin in Q4 2021.
Marvel’s primary focus for the remainder of the field season is to complete resource growth drilling ahead of the upgraded JORC resource, which is expected towards the end of Q3 2021.