West African claims copper-gold discovery in Burkina Faso
THE DRILL SERGEANT: West African Resources claimed discovery of significant copper-gold mineralisation at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Sartenga prospect, which is part of its Boulsa project in Burkina Faso.
The copper-gold mineralisation was intercepted in the third line of wide-spaced aircore drilling conducted by the company at Sartenga, in the central portion of a broad 6.2 kilometre by 1.4 kilometre auger gold-only anomaly.
Sartenga prospect: Section 3 cross section. Source: Company announcement
The discovery hole intersected:
– 57 metres at 0.88 grams per tonne gold, ending in 9 metres at 2.16 grams per tonne gold at 61 metres depth.
West African drilled a twin diamond hole to confirm the end of hole mineralisation and intersected strong silicification and copper-oxide mineralisation beneath the end of the discovery hole, which returned:
– 72.8m at 1.08g/t gold and 0.48 per cent copper including a high-grade zone of 21m at 2.31g/t gold and 1.09 per cent copper from 51m.
Due to technical reasons this hole was terminated, ending in mineralisation greater than 0.5g/t gold at 78.8m.
The company told The Roadhouse the copper-gold results at Sartenga were somewhat unexpected as it had only analysed for gold in its various auger programs and aircore drilling.
Nonetheless the results have been impressive enough for West African to move it key focus at Sartenga prospect.
“The discovery is very exciting due to the width and consistency of copper-gold mineralisation and that it’s located in the centre of a high tenor auger-gold anomaly.” West African Resources managing director Richard Hyde said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
“Drilling at Sartenga will be fast-tracked to bring it up to resource status by the end of 2012.
“All previous drilling will be re-analysed for base metals, while assays for new holes are pending with potential to extend strike to 2km.”
On inspection of the drill core from the twin diamond hole West African geologists revisited the discovery hole for re-analysis, which returned:
– 57m at 0.44 per cent copper, ending in 9m at 0.99 per cent copper.
Consecutive aircore holes conducted on Line 3 all ended in gold mineralisation over a width projected to surface of over 100m, although at this stage they, with the exception of the discovery hole, have only been assayed for gold.
Results include:
– 36m at 0.26g/t gold from 8m;
– 39m at 0.44g/t gold from 8m;
– 57m at 0.88g/t gold and 0.44 per cent copper from 4m; (discovery hole)
– 54m at 0.35g/t gold from surface; and
– 40m at 0.67g/t gold from 20m.