BRITISH miner, Kavango Resources Plc, has revealed promising results from preliminary resource drilling at Prospect 3 of its Hillside Gold Project in Matabeleland, southern Zimbabwe.
Kavango has three projects in Zimbabwe, focusing on its most promising project, Hillside, which consists of 44 gold claims covering 503 hectares.
The Hillside Project is divided into six prospects.
Prospect 1, however, has shown the most potential for a significant gold discovery, according to initial drilling efforts.
Published historic production figures for the Bills Luck Mine at Prospect 1 show 17 000 ounces (oz) of gold were mined at an average grade of 7,7 grammes per tonne between 1916 and 1950.
With gold now trading at record highs over US$3 000, Kavango has worked to define the initial results at the Prospect 3 and 4.
“Kavango Resources plc, the southern Africa-focused metals exploration and gold production company, is pleased to report encouraging assay results from its recently completed preliminary resource drilling at Prospect 3 on the Hillside Gold Project in Matabeleland, southern Zimbabwe,” Kavango said in a statement.
“Drilling intercepted higher than expected gold grades, within six defined mineralised shear zones that appear to increase in grade at depth. These results suggest Prospect 3 has the potential for near-term, shallow open-pit mining of selected mineralised zones, followed by a progression to underground mechanised mining.”
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The miner said the shallow drilling programme provided Kavango with sufficient geological information and positive assay results to begin its first direct resource definition.
“The company is finalising details for a follow-up drill programme to further test gold mineralisation open at depth and along strike at Prospect 3, with an announcement to follow in due course,” Kavango said.
It added that six mineralised gold-bearing shear zones were confirmed across 34 shallow diamond drill holes at Prospect 3.
“Results suggest Prospect 3 is similar in structure to gold ore bodies in Western Australia that are mined using modern mechanised methods through spiral decline mining,” Kavango said.
Kavango’s other mining projects are Nara Gold and Leopard projects.
Nara covers four historic mines near Bulawayo with a total recorded production of more than 90 000oz, while Leopard comprises two groups of claims that have produced 2 000oz.
“We are delighted with the drill results at Prospect 3. The higher-than-expected gold grades, in six defined mineralised shear zones, present Kavango with a much bigger opportunity than was originally envisaged,” Kavango chief executive officer Matthew Turney said.
“Drill results from the 34 shallow diamond holes support the presence of a robust and potentially economic mineralised system at Prospect 3. The correlation of high-grade intercepts with mapped artisanal workings, combined with structural continuity across multiple zones, raises the possibility for selective, near-term open pit mining followed by underground mechanised mining.”
He said Prospect 3 had been mined by artisanal miners over the last 20 years, proving that it was a strong exploration lead for Kavango.
“The artisanal miners appear only to have mined up to a depth of 25m (metres) from the surface. The higher-grade, gold mineralised underlying hard rock is relatively untouched,” Turney said.
“The drill results from the recently completed programme show that the near-surface structures the artisanal miners have mined appear to both continue at depth and increase in grade within the deeper fresh hard rock granodiorite.”
He said this was encouraging for Kavango because it suggested that the target area was at least 150m wide and greater than 650m long and remained open along the strike zone in both directions and open at depth.
“Our planned next phase of drilling will further test the strike and depth extent of this mineralised system,” Turney said.
“If results confirm and potentially extend the footprint and grades of Prospect 3, then Kavango will have made a significant gold discovery.”
