Mako Gold Ltd (ASX:MKG) is likening Gogbala prospect to the core Tchaga deposit at Napié Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire after returning multiple wide and high-grade results including 20 metres at 3.41 g/t gold from 19 metres.
This intersection, which included 1-metre at 6.70 g/t from 22 metres and 2 metres at 14.12 g/t from 37 metres, is the best drill result returned to date from Gogbala and is equivalent to a 69 gram-metre intercept.
Tchaga comparison
Results have been received from 14 reverse circulation (RC) holes at the prospect with all intersecting gold mineralisation and prompting the company to make the comparisons with Tchaga, which has been the core focus of exploration to date.
Mako’s managing director Peter Ledwidge said: “After receipt of the best drill intercepts to date at Gogbala, we reiterate the similarities of mineralisation style between Gogbala and Tchaga.”
Gogbala is 5 kilometres to the south of Tchaga and is one of several prospective zones on the 30-kilometre-long Napié Fault.
There has been 4,400 metres drilled of a planned 10,000 metres at Gogbala and this forms part of a larger 35,000-metre drilling program at Napié.
High-grade results
Assays have been received for 3,900 metres of the current program and other strong results are:
- 23 metres at 1.81 g/t from 19 metres, including 1-metre at 5.73 g/t from 24 metres and 1-metre at 5.41 g/t from 28 metres and 4 metres at 3.05 g/t from 36 metres;
- 8 metres at 4.29 g/t from 82 metres, including 3 metres at 8.45 g/t from 86 metres; and
- 9 metres at 2.52 g/t from 55 metres, including 1-metre at 11.84 g/t from 55 metres.
Select new (yellow) and previous (white) gold intercepts on 2-kilometre-long high-priority target area at Gogbala on IP geophysics. Pending further assays shown as white dots.
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Targeting multi-million-ounce resource
"The wide and high-grade intercepts returned from Gogbala drilling are making Gogbala look more and more like 'Tchaga 2.0'. Both prospects have strong mineralisation outlined over a 2-kilometre strike length,” Ledwidge said.
"This increases our optimism for delineating more deposits along the 30-kilometre-long Napié fault to target a multi-million-ounce resource.”
Mako Gold’s strategy of targeting high-grade areas identified from previous drilling and further expanding these zones appears to be paying off as demonstrated by the positive drill results returned.
The company’s comparisons between structurally controlled gold deposition at Gogbala and Tchaga include wide and high-grade ‘en-echelon’ mineralised zones that have a ‘pinch and swell’ characteristic.
It believes that Gogbala has the potential to host similar stacked gold lodes as those identified on the Tchaga prospect.
Other new results that support this hypothesis are:
- 11 metres at 1.56 g/t from 77 metres, including 1-metre at 4.27 g/t from 77 metres and 1-metre at 8.60 g/t from 87 metres;
- 4 metres at 1.38 g/t from 71 metres and 11 metres at 1.10 g/t from 79 metres and 5 metres at 2.38 g/t from 125 metres, including 1-metre at 7.08 g/t from 128 metres;
- 8 metres at 1.27 g/t from 70 metres, including 1-metre at 5.02 g/t from 77 metres;
- 4 metres at 1.25 g/t from 9 metres and 9 metres at 1.00 g/t from 17 metres; and
- 7 metres at 1.22 g/t from 9 metres.
More assays pending
Assays are pending for a further nine RC and two diamond holes totalling 1,300 metres at Gogbala, which has the potential to substantially add to the upcoming maiden mineral resource estimate.
Other prospects along the Napié fault such as Tchaga North, where 10,000 metres of drilling is planned to follow up on previous positive results, also have the potential to host a gold deposit.
Prospect location with planned drilling along the 30-kilometre-long Napié Fault.
Mako’s goal is to discover significant resources on each of these prospects with the aim of delineating a multi-million-ounce resource on the Napié Permit.
Tchaga North next
"The next target will be the Tchaga North Prospect where we have a 10,000-metre drill program planned,” Ledwidge said.
"We are growing the potential mineral inventory at Napié using our methodical approach to exploration and are funded to continue to do so. We look forward to providing more outstanding results from Tchaga and Gogbala as they come to hand.”
Drilling at Gogbala was recently suspended due to excessive rain and to give the hard-working crew on the ground a well-earned rest. The company is planning to recommence drilling in the third week of October.
Drilling will resume on the Gogbala and Tchaga prospects within around two weeks and should continue thereafter on Tchaga North.