Mako Gold Ltd (ASX:MKG) has an extensive scout aircore drilling program underway as it seeks to add to the gold potential of the Napié Project in Côte d’Ivoire through regional exploration.
This 15,000-metre program is focused on various regional exploration targets in the northern part of the Napié Permit.
At Komboro and Tchaga North
Initial drilling is on Komboro Prospect where Mako has done no previous drilling.
The aircore rig will then move to Tchaga North Prospect to follow-up Mako’s discovery holes of 8 metres at 8.53 g/t gold and 1-metre at 215 g/t drilled in 2018 and to test new targets.
Drill hole fences will be strategically positioned on high-priority structural and geochemical targets which include gold soil/auger anomalies, and anomalous rock chip samples from bedrock.
These targets were generated based on anomalous data from previous exploration which includes soil/auger geochemistry, structures identified from geophysical interpretation, rock chip assays, and RC/DD drilling by the company.
Cost-effective method
Mako’s managing director Peter Ledwidge said: “We are excited that we launched a scout aircore drilling program on regional targets at the Napié Project.
"Drilling aircore fences allows us to cost-effectively test larger areas with the aim of making new discoveries on Napié."
The objective is to make new discoveries outside of the main Tchaga and Gogbala prospect areas as part of Mako’s overall strategy to define a multi-million-ounce resource on the Napié Permit.
Tchaga North is on a +23-kilometre soil anomaly and coincident 30-kilometre-long Napié Fault and associated fault splays.
Komboro is on the same 30-kilometre fault and associated fault splays coincident with a 4-kilometre soil/auger anomaly. At Komboro, the structure takes a jog from the NE to the NEE which may indicate dilational zones conducive to gold deposition.
“Well-funded to follow-up”
"We are well-funded to follow up anomalous zones with reverse circulation drilling to advance quickly to the resource stage, as part of our strategy to increase our mineral inventory post maiden mineral resource estimation scheduled in Q2-CY22,” Ledwidge said.
"We currently have an RC rig operating at Gogbala with a DD rig expected on-site soon. This is in addition to the aircore rig which just started at Komboro and Tchaga North, (all on the Napié Project), and two auger rigs on the Korhogo Project.
"I would like to extend my thanks to our hard-working in-country team who make this possible.”
Upcoming work
Reverse circulation (RC) drilling continues at the Gogbala Prospect and a dual auger program recently started at the 100%-owned Korhogo Project adjacent to Barrick’s 4.9-million-ounce Tongon Gold Mine.
A second rig is expected on site shortly at Gogbala to drill deeper diamond holes for the upcoming maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE).
Mako's longer-term objective, assuming aircore and reverse circulation (RC) drilling identify new mineralised zones, is to define resources on newly discovered zones thereby adding mineral inventory and enabling it to update its resource estimate subsequent to the maiden MRE scheduled for the June quarter.
This is in line with the company’s strategy to discover several deposits along the 30-kilometre Napié Fault with the goal of outlining several million ounces of gold in the near-term.