IronRidge Resources has announced high-grade gold results from its Zaranou gold licence, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Highlights from the latest exploration activities includes:
Multiple high-grade gold results returned from 324 reconnaissance channel and rock-chip samples collected over primary ‘hard-rock’ artisanal mining sites at the Zaranou license.
9.8km strike length high-priority target zone defined with coincident high-grade gold results, extensive hard-rock artisanal mining sites and favourable geology.
High-grade channel sampling results including:
6m @ 3.67g/t gold, inclusive 1m @ 15.8g/t gold o3m @ 4.13g/t gold, inclusive 1m @ 11.2g/t gold o 4m @ 2.39g/t gold.
High-grade rock-chip sampling results including: o69.6g/t, 48.8g/t, 25.3g/t and 20.5g/t gold.
Initial observations indicate mineralisation occurs both within quartz veins and the host rock schists over broad zones; scale potential inferred.
New results shine a positive light on historical reporting of:
Mining activity during the 1930’s with quartz vein zones between 2m to 60m thick, and over 300m in length with evidence of gold mineralisation extending 10m into pyritic schists either side of the veins and averaging 1.5g/t to 12g/t Au.
Previous exploration results returned during the late 1990’s and 2008 including a best result of 2.2g/t over 21 meters (including 5.7 g/t over 5 meters) in a limited rotary air blast (“RAB”) drilling program.
IronRidge’s COO, Len Kolff, said that the consistent and high-grade results from this early stage reconnaissance programme had reinforced both the exploration potential of the project and their strategy to aggressively advance the targets.
“The returned results demonstrate that a high-priority target zone is developing over a 9.8km strike length at average 800m width which remains open along strike in both directions, with coincident hard-rock artisanal workings, high-grade channel and rock-chip sampling results and favourable geology.
“Importantly, mineralisation has been recorded both within quartz veins and the host schist lithology; indicating scale potential and bulk mineable widths.
“These newly reported results validate historical reported results including broad mineralised quartz vein zones averaging 1.5g/t to 12g/t gold and mineralised pyrite alteration zones extending a further 10m into the host rock.
“Likewise, historical results including 21m @ 2.2g/t gold in RAB including 5.7 g/t over 5 meters provides additional conviction in an important project. “
Looking at next steps for their Zaranou license, Mr Kolff stated that their field teams are currently completing a high-resolution drone survey with follow-up field mapping, whilst they are planning an aircore drilling programme and soil geochemical program when the dry season commences in October.
Reconnaissance Sampling Results
Field teams completed detailed face mapping and channel sampling on over 15 large scale and 130 small scale artisanal pits for a total of 145 primary ‘hard-rock’ artisanal mining pits within the central portion of the Zaranou license (refer to Figure 1, above).
The results are significant as gold mineralisation was encountered in both schists and quartz veins, providing confidence in broader mineralised intervals within host rock amenable to bulk mining techniques.
Rock-chip sampling returned multiple high-grade results including 69.6g/t,48.8g/t,25.3g/tand20.5g/tgold. Results are significant as both quartz veins and schists with disseminated weathered sulphides returned gold mineralisation, providing further confidence in broader mineralised widths.
The high-proportion of >1g/t gold results returning in both the channel and rock-chip sampling results, in addition to broad, low-level gold anomalism in channel sampling as part of a reconnaissance programme is noteworthy and highlights both prospectivity within the license area and the potential for bulk mineable widths (Figure 2).
Results have defined a 9.8km long and average 800m wide high-priority gold target zone with coincident hard-rock and alluvial artisanal workings, high-grade channel sampling and rock chip results including 6m @ 3.67g/t gold and up to 69.6g/trespectively, and favourable geology (refer to Figure 2).
Mineralisation remains open to the north-east and south-west within a 40km striking shear zone with coincident artisanal workings (refer Figure 3 and Figure 4).
About IronRidge Resources
IronRidge Resources is an AIM-listed, Africa focussed minerals exploration company with a lithium pegmatite discovery in Ghana, extensive grassroots gold portfolio in Cote d’Ivoire and a potential new gold province discovery in Chad. The Company holds legacy iron ore assets in Gabon and a bauxite resource in Australia. IronRidge’s strategy is to create and sustain shareholder value through the discovery and development of significant and globally demanded commodities.
Find out more at ironridgeresources.com.au