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.
Drilling to commence at Seimana gold project
Drake Resources (ASX: DRK) has commissioned an initial 1500m (minimum) RC drilling program on its Seimana gold prospects in Guinea.
The program will commence in July and investigate near surface high-priority targets identified from recent field programs.
“Drake’s field programs have revealed the potential for an emerging and significant gold discovery,” Drake Resources CEO Jason Stirbinskis said.
“We’ve mapped thousands of individual artisanal miners’ pits occurring in some 60 clusters over almost the entire length of our tenement parcel.
“Our program of mapping and sampling, commenced only in February this year, has helped us define multiple high-priority targets and a portion of these will be drilled in the approaching program.
“To our knowledge this will be the first drill program ever conducted in this area which is quite amazing given its geological setting and numerous multimillion ounce gold projects in the region.
“A challenge for us at Seimana is that our work to date has generated so many targets with good gold grades and extensive veining.”
Drilling commences at Candonga
Centaurus Metals (ASX: CTM) has commenced a diamond drilling program and lodged key development and environmental approvals at the company’s 100 per cent‐owned Candonga DSO project in south‐east Brazil.
Centaurus has lodged an application with the Department of Mines for a Trial Mining Licence at Candonga, located 33km south of its Jambreiro iron ore project.
The application for a Trial Mining Licence allows for mining of 300,000tpa of ore per licence.
Centaurus said the licensing process is a simple one that is dealt with by the State DNPM office and does not require approval from the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
The company believes the licence can be obtained within six months.
Concurrently, Centaurus has advanced the Environmental Licensing process for Candonga with the State Environment Authority (SUPRAM) by lodging the main Environmental Licence Application, known as the RCA/PCA.
Centaurus suggested the Environmental Licence process is relatively straightforward for the Candonga project due to the planned operating parameters and because the project is located on pastoral land requiring no native vegetation clearing.
Drilling Commences at Leonora project
Anglo Australian Resources (ASX: AAR) has started drilling on the company’s Leonora project in Western Australia.
Two diamond core drill holes are targeting off-hole conductors detected by downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys in two holes drilled in October 2012.
The previous drilling tested a strong 800-metre long bedrock electromagnetic conductor detected in surface electromagnetic surveying.
Trace to minor amounts of copper and zinc were intersected, which has been interpreted as a possible indication of the nearby presence of massive sulphide lenses or stringer sulphide zones.
Both holes are located in the vicinity of the previous holes, but will target the south plunging, west dipping DHEM conductors offset from those holes.
The company said the new holes will also provide a better stratigraphic context for previously intersected sulphide mineralisation.
The drill program is co-funded under the WA Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme to a maximum of $90,000.
High impact drilling campaign
St George Mining (ASX: SGQ) has commenced drilling its 2014 nickel sulphide drilling program at the company’s 100 per cent-owned East Laverton Property.
“Reconnaissance drilling at our East Laverton Property in 2012 discovered nickel sulphides and confirmed the prospectivity of this large, regional project as an emerging nickel field,” St George Mining executive chairman John Prineas said.
“Our EM survey has now delivered high quality targets to test for massive nickel sulphide deposits.
“Phase 1 of the 2014 drilling program will test this first group of EM conductors identified by Newexco on the Stella Range belt.
“We believe this drill program offers an excellent opportunity for a major discovery.”
Drilling commenced at Lake Wells
Goldphyre Resources (ASX: GPH) has commenced a regional reconnaissance RAB/AC drill program at the company’s Lake Wells project, located 180 kilometres north of Laverton and approximately 60 kilometres north from Gold Road Resources’ (ASX: GOR) Gruyere prospect.
The drilling will test a range of priority targets for both gold and base metal potential including the Axford gold prospect and grass roots geophysical, structural and geochemistry/historic drill targets throughout the Lake Wells project area.
“Although recent heavy rains throughout the Eastern Goldfields have delayed the commencement of drilling, we are very pleased to have the drill rig on site testing a range of excellent gold and base metal targets,” Goldphyre Resources technical director Brenton Siggs said.
“We look forward to completing this regional reconnaissance program and generating some excellent targets for a follow-up RC drilling campaign.”
Drilling is anticipated to be completed within four weeks with first assay results expected to be received in late June, 2014.