Aurion Resources (TSX-V:AU) Ltd has reported positive drill results from its joint venture (JV) with B2Gold in Finland, which, the company says, have expanded the Helmi discovery to the west.
The latest assays come from 11 holes from the summer-fall 2022 drilling and Aurion said that so far around half of the ongoing drill program had been completed, with more planned for the second half.
"The mineralized system at Helmi is expanding towards the west," said Aurion's CEO Matti Talikka in a statement.
"Recent step out drill holes returned several gold intercepts along approximately 1 km strike length to the west of the Helmi Main zone.
READ: Aurion Resources hails 'highly successful' winter drill program at Finland joint venture with B2Gold
"Gold mineralized intervals have now been intersected along 2 km strike length of the structural corridor that extends 8 km between the Helmi and Kutuvuoma occurrences," he added.
"We expect further results from the ongoing 11,000 m drilling program, of which half has been completed, to be available later this year and early next year," said Talikka.
The latest drill highlights included 1.78 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 15.10 metres (m) from 103.65m depth in one hole, and 52.50 g/t over 0.55m from 91.80m in another.
Ten of the 11 holes hit gold mineralization along a 1km strike length of the structural corridor, the company noted.
The Helmi discovery was made during the second half of last year and drilling there has returned a number of significant intercepts, including 2.05 g/t gold over 77.50m, 1.84 g/t gold over 52.40 m and 2.44 g/t of the yellow metal over 43.45 m.
It sits around 1.3 kilometres (km) west of Rupert Resources' 3.95-million-ounce Ikkari discovery, while the Helmi area covers around 2 km of strike along an 8 km sequence of prospective geology along a domain boundary in the eastern part of the JV property extending from the Ikkari Discovery to the Kutuvuoma test pit.
The venture, in which Aurion has a 30% stake, with operator B2Gold owning 70%, covers around 331 square kilometers (sq km) along the Sirkka Shear Zone in the Central Lapland greenstone belt and includes discoveries such as Helmi, Kutuvuoma, Soretiavuoma and Kettukuusikko.
Aurion is a well-funded Canadian exploration group and says its current focus is the flagship Risti and Launi projects, as well as its joint venture properties with B2Gold and Kinross in Finland.
Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinvestors.com