West Africa-focussed gold explorer Oriole Resources reports that its Cameroon-based 90%-owned Bibemi orogenic gold project’s Bakassi Zone 1 has been delineated with a maiden Joint Ore Reserves Committee- (Jorc-) compliant inferred gold resource of 305 000 oz, grading 2.19 g/t.

Bakassi Zone 1 is one of four prospects at the 177 km² Bibemi project, where a pit enhancement study has been completed to upgrade a portion of the previously reported Jorc exploration target for the Bakassi Zone 1 prospect to a maiden Jorc resource.

The resource and updated exploration target have been compiled for Oriole by independent consultant Forge International, who has recently completed a site visit to Bibemi in accordance with Jorc guidelines.

Oriole CEO Tim Livesey says the company believes the Bakassi Zone 1 prospect is the first ever Jorc mineral resource estimate (MRE) for orogenic gold in Cameroon.

“We are very pleased to have delivered an initial Jorc MRE of significant size in a cost-effective manner and within such a short timeframe, despite the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
“This was the first drilling ever carried out at Bibemi and it clearly demonstrates the massive opportunity that exists in this underexplored region,” he adds.

The pit-constrained resource is estimated to be 4.3-million tonnes, grading 2.19 g/t gold for about 305 000 oz of gold in the Jorc inferred resources category.

The entire resource has been modelled over a strike length of 1 220 m and to a depth of 260 m, using a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t and a top-cut of 20 g/t, as well as within the limit of a gold price of $1 800/oz of gold.

The residual Jorc exploration target, not including the resource blocks, is estimated to be between 1.5-million and 2.2-million tonnes, at grades ranging from 1.1 g/t to 2.1 g/t, for between an additional 53 000 oz and 148 000 oz of gold.

Both estimates remains open at depth and along strike to the northeast. “The Bakassi Zone 1 prospect is open at depth . . . It is also open along strike to the north-east and there is additional potential within three kilometres of this initial pit design at the Bakassi Zone 2, Lawa West and Lawa East prospects. Collectively, these prospects have the potential to deliver many more ounces,” says Livesey.

In October, Oriole reported a maiden Jorc exploration target for Bakassi Zone 1 of between six-million and eight-million tonnes at grades ranging from 1.5 g/t to 1.7 g/t gold, for between 290 000 oz and 440 000 oz of gold. 

There exists significant potential to expand the MRE at Bakassi Zone 1 and to identify additional resources at the other three prospects on the licence, Bakassi Zone 2, Lawa West and Lawa East, which are all located within a few kilometres of Bakassi Zone 1.

Going forward, an infill geophysics programme is planned to take place in the first half of 2023, to aid drill targeting at the remaining three prospects on the Bibemi licence, as well as future resource expansion activities.

“We are delighted that our early move into Cameroon continues to deliver success, both here at Bibemi and in the expansive Central Licence Package.

“The Oriole team identified the critical mineralising controls following the early work of mapping and trenching. The first phases of prospect drilling and the structural reviews of the oriented core drilling programme confirmed this, and the information has been used to deliver the Jorc MRE,” he says.