Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Each week any number of junior exploration plays set out to drill their ground. Here’s a small selection of what’s been happening this week.
Commencement of Mining
Mineral Deposits (ASX: MDL) has commenced mining at Grande Côte in Senegal, with sand now being processed through the Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP), producing heavy mineral concentrate (HMC).
As mining and processing rates through the WCP are ramped up, and after a few weeks to allow a stockpile of HMC to be built, processing through the Mineral Separation Plant will commence, giving rise to first product.
“The commencement of mining is clearly a very significant day in the life cycle of Grande Côte,” Mineral Deposits managing director Rick Sharp said.
“After more than two years of actual construction, and many more years of evaluation and planning before that, we now have a world-class project of which we are very proud.”
Drilling underway at Bryah Basin
Alchemy Resources (ASX: ALY) has commenced an initial RC drilling program at the Seaborg gold prospect on the company’s Bryah Basin project, north of Meekatharra in Western Australia.
Targeted RC drilling is being undertaken to determine the orientation and plunge of the interpreted high-grade gold mineralisation shoot as well as the potential strike and depth extent of mineralisation at Seaborg.
This drilling will incrementally step-out both along-strike and down-plunge from existing defined high-grade gold mineralisation.
The drilling follows-up high-grade gold assay results (51 metres at 3.71 grams per tonne from surface in CBRB001 and 23m at 3.16g/t from 16m in CBRB002) returned from initial RAB drilling at Seaborg that confirmed and extended a high-grade gold intersection (27m at 5.43g/t from 15m) in a historic drill hole.
The results indicate a continuity in gold grade down-hole and that drilling stopped within the gold mineralised zone.
The results also indicate intervals with higher gold grade within the mineralised zone, including 5m at 6.03g/t from 1m and 14m at 6.59g/t from 23m in CBRB001.
7,000 metre drilling program kicked off
Gascoyne Resources (ASX: GCY) has commenced a 7,000 metre drill program at the company’s three advanced gold projects in Western Australia.
The initial program involves shallow RC drilling at the high-grade Golden Wings deposit at the 80 per cent-owned Dalgaranga gold project in the Murchison region.
This drilling has been designed to test the shallow up-plunge extensions of the known gold mineralisation and to confirm the geological interpretation of a high-grade shoot.
Gascoyne will then investigate development options and seek to monetise the Golden Wings discovery.
Once the initial RC program has been completed, drilling will focus on a number of regional exploration targets at Dalgaranga followed by exploration at the 100 per cent-owned Mt Egerton and Glenburgh projects which are in the Gascoyne region of WA.
“The drilling will be funded from existing cash reserves and a significant reduction in ongoing fixed costs, including voluntary reductions in remuneration, redundancies and new co-tenancy arrangements at Perth office which will result in total savings of over $300,000 per year, deferring any need for a short term capital raising, and providing a path for steady news flow and forward progress on key projects,” Gascoyne Resources chairman Mike Joyce said.
Maiden drilling program commences
Cardinal Resources (ASX: CDV) has commenced an initial 4,000 metres combined RC and diamond drill program at the Ndongo prospect‐central zone within the company’s Bolgatanga project in Ghana.
Analysis of the soil geochemical and aeromagnetic surveys over the Bolgatanga project area were combined with dipole‐dipole IP (DDIP) and ground magnetics surveys over the gold‐in‐soil nomalous central zone within the Ndongo prospect area to delineate and finalise initial drill targets.
“The combination RC/diamond drill rig has now been commissioned by the drill manufacturer’s engineer with commissioning and testing of the rig completed to manufacturer’s satisfaction,” Cardinal Resources managing director Archie Koimtsidis said.
“We expect the planned initial 4,000 metre maiden drill program to be completed by the end of quarter two 2014, with samples to be delivered on a weekly basis to the SGS Laboratory in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
“The assay turn‐around time is expected to be approximately two weeks, which will assist with quick analysis and reporting.
“Ground DDIP and magnetics surveys over the Ndongo Central area have delineated a prominent high chargeability zone which coincides with anomalous soil values (>100 ppb gold) and comprises the initial drill target areas.”