MALI
Exploration within the Syama Greenstone Belt during the year focused on increasing near mine oxide resources and developing new drill targets using recent detailed regolith and outcrop mapping, surface and down hole geochemical data, and a variety of geophysical techniques. The airborne versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM) survey flown in May 2008 across the southern Syama tenements has produced images that clearly outline intrusive units, stratigraphy (including the highly prospective Syama formation) and structural lineaments in otherwise magnetically ‘blank’ areas on aeromagnetic images. This data has greatly advanced the exploration teams drill hole planning and regional conceptual targeting ability.
Three research permits located to the east of Syama were applied for during the year (Figure 3). The tenements are located over previously unrecognised regionally prospective structures and stratigraphy including altered “fertile” intrusives and Birimian volcano-sedimentary sequences with local evidence for gold and copper mineralisation.
Syama Permit
The Tellem, Drag Queen and Senufo prospects were discovered as a result of wide spaced regional aircore drilling across the Syama Formation. Follow up reverse circulation drilling at Senufo is planned for the near future whereas infill and strike extension drilling has already been completed at the Tellem prospect (10km southwest of Syama) with 7,000m of reverse circulation drilling and one diamond hole completed during the 2008/09 field season. Exceptional economic intercepts including 18m @ 35.0g/t Au, 10m @ 12.7g/t Au, 5m @ 24.7g/t Au, 8m @ 10.3g/t Au, and 16m @ 5.1g/t Au have been received from a continuous zone of gold mineralisation with a strike length of more than 2.0km (Figure 3). Mineralisation is located within a shear hosted, quartz veined, sericite-carbonatepyrite-arsenopyrite altered feldspar porphyry unit. Structural jogs and quartz veining associated with cross-cutting structures correlate with steeply plunging high grade ore shoots. Diamond drilling targeting the high grade shoots and drilling along strike to the north and south is planned prior to conducting resource estimations.
Thirteen infill and extension reverse circulation drill holes were completed at the Drag Queen prospect (2.5km south of Syama) in order to test both north-east and north-north-east trending structures inferred from regional mapping and geophysical images. Significant intercepts of 10m @ 2.9g/t Au and 9m @ 3.1g/t Au were received however mineralisation is structurally complex and an induced polarisation survey across the area has commenced in order to confirm the continuity of mineralisation prior to conducting additional drilling.
Aircore drilling at the Samory prospect (1km East of Syama) aimed at testing gold in soil anomalism and shallow Randgold rotary airblast drilling intercepts has outlined two possibly linked zones of colluvial gold mineralisation with consistent grades >2g/t Au from between 0m and 2m vertical depth. Recent intercepts include 4m @ 2.7g/t Au, 2m @ 3.7g/t Au, 2m @ 5.6g/t Au, and 2m @ 4.4g/t Au. The prospect has the potential to be an additional oxide ore source for the Syama mill. Bulk sampling is proposed prior to close spaced resource drilling.
Wide spaced aircore drilling on the Senufo-Paysans trend and to the south of Tellem, 3km to 14km south of Syama has continued to produce very encouraging results including 12m @ 1.9g/t Au and 4m @ 2.9g/t Au from within strongly sheared and altered sediments or felsic porphyry units (Figure 3). Infill aircore and follow up reverse circulation drilling has been financial year.
Sindi Permit
The Sindi permit (10km west of Syama) was granted during the year and covers several geochemical anomalies and structural targets which possibly represent the source of the extensive Bagoë alluvial workings. First pass soil sampling across the entire permit identified both gold and multi-element targets including one 2km x 500m anomaly located on a N-S trending electromagnetic anomaly adjacent to the same NW-trending structure that cuts through the Tellem deposit. Regolith mapping over the permit will be used in conjunction with both ionic leach and low level aqua regia soil sample analysis in order to determine the most appropriate method for the Sindi and surrounding areas.
Finkolo - Etruscan Resources JV
(Resolute 60%)
Two hundred wide spaced aircore holes were drilled between the Tellem and Tabakoroni deposits in order to test Au-As soil geochemistry anomalies associated with prospective lithological and structural targets. Ore grade intercepts associated with the Syama Formation Footwall Shear and the Galamankourou Duplex Shear were encountered on almost every drill line (Figure 4). Significant intercepts included 3m @ 14.9g/t Au and 3m @ 2.5g/t Au. Evaluation of multi-element assay data from the entire aircore programme is being undertaken in order to identify the most geochemically significant areas. Infill drilling is planned for the coming year.
As development drilling commenced on the Tabakoroni deposit a detailed diamond core re-logging programme and geological interpretation was undertaken. Ore shoot plunges within the Tabakoroni Main Shear Zone (“TMSZ”) were found to be controlled by both the intersection of the TMSZ with the numerous shallow to moderate SW-dipping hangingwall lodes, and a lithological control which varies from a moderate north plunge in the southern part of the deposit to a shallow south plunge in the north. A 3D geological model was completed and has helped to identify several deep drill targets that are to be drill tested in the near future. Campaign Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA), petrology and multi-element geochemistry sampling has defined a distinctive litho-geochemical footprint to the Tabakoroni mineralisation which is now being used as a regional targeting tool.
Follow up reverse circulation and aircore drilling completed within the Ngokoli permit at the Bandit prospect (15km south of Tabakoroni) returned encouraging intercepts of 13m @ 1.8g/t Au and 7m @ 2.0g/t Au. Mineralisation remains open along strike to the north, south and at depth. Various other drill intercepts from wide spaced aircore drilling require follow up drilling. A number of Au-As soil anomalies and structural targets also remain to be tested.
