Japan Gold (TSX-V:JG) Corp has announced it has commenced its 2022 exploration program at its Ikutahara project in Hokkaido, Japan, as it seeks to advance multiple high-ranked prospects with an initial 7,000 metres (m) of drilling and other prospect surface programs.
The company said it has started drilling at the Ryuo prospect, with three rigs currently drilling and a fourth in place to provide flexibility in targeting options and to minimize down-time between drill holes.
An initial eight drill holes, approximately 3,500m of diamond drill core, are underway to test the continuity of high-grade intersections encountered during the 11-hole 2021 drill program and to advance exploration on multiple targets along the 1.2km long open-ended alteration corridor.
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Highlights from the 2021 drill program at the Ryuo prospect include intercepts of 20m at 6.3 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 15.7 g/t silver and 4.9m at 12.1 g/t gold and 33 g/t silver at the Jinja vein.
Japan Gold (TSX-V:JG) vice president of exploration Andrew Rowe said the company was poised to expand on the exciting high-grade intersections from last year’s drilling at Ryuo.
“The dramatic increase in width and grade to depth at the Jinja vein demonstrates significant potential and shows the historic workings only scratched the surface of a well-preserved epithermal system,” Rowe said.
“Similarly, indications point to deeper vein targets below the mineralized eruption breccias at the Ryuei and Buryu zones in the southwest of the prospect.”
Once the Ryuo program is complete, the company said drilling would shift to the Kitano-o and Saroma prospects where an additional seven drill holes comprising approximately 3,500m of drilling are planned.
Additional drill meters will be allocated based on the success of these programs.
The company’s surface exploration program for 2022 includes extensions to soil grids completed in 2021 at the Ryuo and Kitano-o prospects.
Japan Gold (TSX-V:JG) is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on gold exploration across Japan’s three largest islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, and Kyushu.
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