Tanzania
Exploration in Tanzania throughout the year has primarily been focused on increasing near mine oxide resources. Additionally, several new targets to the east of Golden Pride have been identified utilising the current Golden Pride geochemical “footprint” knowledge and acquired airborne versatile time-domain electromagnetic survey (VTEM) data.
Golden Pride Near Mine Prospects
The Kavsav deposit located 8km north-east of Golden Pride has been the principal focus for the Tanzanian exploration team during the year. The deposit was identified, after a detailed re-evaluation of the previous Anglo-Ashanti exploration data, recognition of significant silica-sericite alteration in the field and subsequent deeper reverse circulation and diamond drilling. During the 2008/09 field season systematic infill, down dip and strike extension drilling comprising over 6,000m of reverse circulation drilling and four diamond holes was completed.
The drilling returned some excellent intercepts including 10m @ 3.8g/t Au, 32m @ 1.4g/t Au, 8m @ 4.9g/t Au, 19m @ 2.7g/t Au, 44m @ 1.4g/t Au, 16m @ 1.9g/t Au, and 12m @ 2.5g/t Au and has defined two large, low grade ore bodies (Kavsav Southwest and Kavsav Hill) containing litho-structurally controlled high grade internal shoots over a strike length of more than 1.6km. Results from a detailed 3D Induced Polarisation (IP) survey over the prospect indicate that gold mineralisation lies on the south-eastern margin of co-incident resistivity and chargeability highs. Interpretation of this work suggests mineralisation will continue between the two outlined mineralised zones and may increase in tenor at depth to the north-west (Figure 5). Further drilling is planned prior to an initial resource estimate.
Reverse circulation and aircore drilling was completed at several other near mine prospects including China (4km east of Golden Pride), Airport West (6km west of Golden Pride), Isunga (8km west of Golden Pride), GP West (9km west of Golden Pride), and Kilabili (10km west of Golden Pride). Best intercepts included 7m @ 2.9g/t Au and 4m @ 2.4g/t Au from China and 1m @ 17.7g/t Au from Airport West. Further drill testing along strike to the west is planned for the China prospect.
Golden Pride Regional
Wide spaced (1km x 1km) regional multi-element soil sampling across the entire Nzega Belt was finalised during the year. Evaluation of the results has identified ten significant Au-Golden Pride pathfinder element anomalies along the Golden Pride-Bulangamilwa, Mapagale and Matinje shear zones (Figure 6). Systematic evaluation of these anomalies has dominated the regional exploration work which included the collection of over five thousand five hundred soil and one hundred rock chip samples. The Milwa - Baker area is located within the Barrick Golden Pride East Joint Venture, 16km to 21km east of Golden Pride. A continuous gold in soil anomaly up to 350m wide and over a strike length of more than 7kms was delineated during the year.
The Milwa portion of the anomaly was drill tested recently and returned several encouraging intercepts including 6m @ 2.8g/t Au and 12m @ 2.4g/t Au. Systematic infill drilling is planned. Mineralisation has been identified within the Mapagale and Mapagale South soil anomalies 9km to the south east of the Milwa prospect, and also within the Kongoro gold in soil anomaly 10km south of Mapagale. Drilling at these prospects and at Nata on the Matinje shear is planned.
Nyakafuru Area
Exploration on high priority areas was undertaken during the year. This work included strike extension drilling at Kanegele Hill, Grange and Nyakafuru Reef areas.
Regional 1km x 1km multi-element soil samples collected across the entire tenement package outlined strong anomalism over Kanegele Hill, Mega, a northwest- trending anomaly linking Redgate to Ngogwa, and also some significant results from the Golden Hoe, Nyakasaluma, Redgate, Lugungya and Kakumbi West prospects. All these anomalies warrant follow up exploration.
