Aura Energy Limited has restarted field activities on its Tasiast South tenements in Mauritania, Africa, with the completion of the first gravity survey over the entire greenstone area.
The company has mobilised two geophysical crews from gravity specialist, GeoFocus, from South Africa, to carry out detailed gravity surveying on all three of Aura’s tenements at Tasiast South.
As a part of the survey, about 6,500 stations were surveyed and the company has roped in Newexco, a Perth-based geophysical consultant with extensive experience in Archean geophysics, to oversee program specifications designed and activities.
The gravity data will allow a better definition of geology and the identification of structures are likely to be of relevance to gold deposition and the possibility of direct detection of sulphide mineralisation on the nickel/cobalt targets.
To guide future exploration
Aura Energy managing director and CEO Peter Reeve said: “We are very pleased to have completed the first of the planned field surveys on Tasiast South.
“The gravity survey will provide valuable gravity data which will guide future exploration, as we continue to advance this highly underexplored project, which represents some of the best-underexplored greenstone belt targets in the world.”
Nomads JV
At Nomads JV, where the company is earning 70%, there had been no meaningful exploration despite covering 50 square kilometres of Archean greenstone belt, out of which 35 kilometres is directly along strike from Kinross’ plus-20-million-ounce Tasiast Gold Mine, currently being mined at an annual rate of more than 400,000 ounces.
The area has no outcrop and the gravity survey is expected to define the greenstone belt, lithologies and structures permitting the planning of follow-up bedrock sampling and deeper drilling.
Newexco has reported that the survey data meets specifications and is fit for purpose, with processing underway.
According to the company, these tenements and strong base and battery metal results returned from limited previous exploration, represent some of the best under-explored greenstone belt targets in the world.