Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) is now sitting on a 4.2-million-ounce gold resource at its flagship Bankan property in northeast Guinea.
The global resource for the Bankan camp, which hosts the NE Bankan and Bankan Creek deposits, was updated today after a 569,000-ounce resource upgrade at the former gold target.
Now, NE Bankan is reported to host 72.3 million tonnes of ore at 1.65 g/t gold for 3.9 million gold ounces, while the global project resource clocks in at 79.5 million tonnes at 1.63 g/t gold for 4.2 million ounces.
All up, just over 52,000 metres of drilling — covering upwards of 200 drill holes — went into the resource update.
The region’s next tier-one gold mine?
Managing director Andrew Pardey said the results confirmed what the company had believed since the project’s discovery hole: “Bankan is one of the most significant gold discoveries ever made in West Africa and may possibly become the region’s next tier-one gold mine.
“Since our maiden resource on September 30, 2021, we have added an extra 569,000 ounces at NE Bankan to achieve an inferred mineral resource of 4.2 million ounces, grading at 1.63 g/t gold.
“Importantly, the most exciting step-out hole completed, is below the current resource model therefore we will continue with more infill work to convert these results into resources.”
A closer look at NE Bankan
Running the numbers, Predictive has recorded an 18% increase in the mineral resource at NE Bankan, while the gold grade has improved from 1.57 g/t to 1.65 g/t.
The resource also includes an initial high-grade underground resource directly below the optimised pit shell, weighing in at 283,938 tonnes at 4.85 g/t for 44,000 gold ounces.
Predictive has completed test work on ore from this deeper high-grade zone, and it managed to complete leaching within 24 hours, reporting an average gold recovery of 92% and between 30% and 50% gravity recovery.
More to come?
PDI is already considering its next steps at the Bankan project, including future resource expansion.
At present, the explorer’s deepest diamond hole sits outside the reported mineral resource area, meaning there’s scope for further resource growth.
In addition, NE Bankan remains open down-dip, with the deepest hole returning 24 metres at 5.5 g/t gold from 850 metres, including 11 metres at 10.3 g/t gold from 852 square metres. Infill and step-out drilling is expected to convert this result into resources.
Next steps
When it comes to work at Bankan, Predictive shows no signs of slowing down.
So far, the explorer has completed multi-element and geochemical analysis across the NE Bankan deposit.
Thanks to this, it’s hoped the NE Bankan signature can be used regionally to look for similar NE Bankan-style discoveries across the portfolio.
In the meantime, nine drill rigs are undertaking further resource drilling, grade control and near-deposit exploration across the Bankan project area.
As it progresses its resource expansion strategy, Predictive has $57 million in the bank to fund activity.
Pardey explained: “Over the following months and supported by our healthy cash balance, we will continue to drill the current deposit to convert the resource category from inferred to indicated, undertake further resource drilling at Bankan Creek and develop our regional targets with the goal of finding more NE Bankan-style deposits along our 35-kilometre structural corridor.
A vision for production
Looking further afield, the Predictive managing director said his team was hard at work to ensure this project is built into a mine.
“In addition to drilling and metallurgical work, we will continue working with the Guinean Government, which fully backs the project, as well as working with our advisors to design a project that embeds environmental and social matters at its core, in alignment with the expectation of our stakeholders,” Pardey continued.
“This is central to our ability to bring Bankan into production,” he concluded.