IronRidge starts Phase 3 drilling at Zaranou gold project

9th September 2020

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

     

Font size: - +

Africa-focussed minerals exploration company IronRidge Resources has started its third phase drilling programme within the Zaranou gold project area in Côte d’Ivoire, with about 50 000 m of drilling planned.

The licence borders with Ghana and is along strike from significant operating gold mines including Chirano (5-million ounces), Bibiani (5.5-million ounces) and Ahafo (17-million ounces).

The second phase drilling programme has now been completed, with 22 389 m drilled in 416 holes across the Ehuasso and Ebilassokro targets.

The second phase drilling programme consisted of air core (AC) drilling of 20 312 m in 404 holes over the Ehuasso and Ebilassokro targets, while the reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme consisted of 2 077 m in 12 holes over the Ehuasso targets.

IronRidge notes that the remaining AC and RC results will be reported as soon as they become available and have been reviewed.

In terms of the third phase drilling programme, the company says field teams have remobilised to site and an AC rig and RC rig have resumed drilling activities, with a second RC rig scheduled to arrive within a week.

A total of about 50 000 m of combined AC and RC drilling has been planned along the Zaranou licence with about 20 000 m of resource RC drilling at the Ehuasso Main target and 30 000 m of exploration AC drilling at the Ebilassokro, Mbasso, Super Pit and Yakassé targets.

About 20 000 m of RC resource drilling has been planned at the Ehuasso Main target, designed to infill the existing 160 m spaced AC drill traverses to 80 m line spacing, as well as test deeper below previously reported AC intersections along the 1.5-km-long target.

RC drilling is planned to be completed by end of the year using two dedicated RC rigs with the aim of defining a maiden mineral resource under an accelerated timeline and dependent on results.

About 30 000 m of exploration AC drilling is planned at the Ebilassokro, Yakassé, Mbasso and Super Pit targets, to be completed by the end of the year. Drilling is planned to test along strike from previously reported results from the first and second phase drill programmes at broad 160 m spaced AC drill traverses.

IronRidge COO Len Kolff says that, while waiting on final results from the second phase drill programme, the company has remobilised the drill rigs and added a third rig to accelerate infill drill testing of the Ehuasso Main target and continue to build on the pipeline of exploration targets.

“The AC rig will continue to build the pipeline of exploration targets along the Zaranou licence with about 30 000 m of drilling planned to test historic drill results at the Yakassé target and step out 160 m spaced AC traverses at the Ebilassokro, Mbasso and Super Pit targets where Phase 1 and Phase 2 drilling reported promising results.”

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION