PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Antipa Minerals has reported a 50% increase in gold grade and ounces at its Citadel project’s Calibre deposit, in Western Australia, following an exploration programme funded by major Rio Tinto.
The Calibre deposit is now estimated to host an inferred mineral resource of 47.7-million tonnes, grading 0.85 g/t gold and 0.15% copper, for 1.3-million ounces of gold and 69 500 t of copper.
The Calibre and Magnum deposits are now estimated to host a combined inferred mineral resource of 1.64-million ounces of gold and 126 300 t of copper, with both deposits remaining open in several directions.
Rio’s 2017 exploration programme at the Citadel project formed part of a A$60-million farm-in agreement between the two companies. The major has now earned an initial 51% interest in the Citadel project by investing an initial A$8-million on exploration spend.