A large regional exploration programme under the alliance that gold major Barrick formed with TSX-V-listed junior Japan Gold has begun.
Barrick and Japan Gold announced their alliance in February this year.
Barrick CEO Mark Bristow recently said that the group was interested in Japan, which has not seen any modern exploration, despite hosting one of the world’s highest-grade gold mines.
The Barrick alliance programme will evaluate Japan Gold’s portfolio of projects to enable focused exploration on the highest priority areas to generate drilling targets, explains Japan Gold chairperson and CEO John Proust.
The regional programme will include sampling of stream sediments for bulk leach extractable gold and multi-element pathfinder analysis along with gravity surveys over the 1 521 km2 covered by the Barrick alliance projects on the islands of Kyushu, Honshu and Hokkaido.
The programme will progress from the south to the north of Japan and is anticipated to be completed within one year with Japan Gold acting as the operator.
Japan Gold also says it has taken appropriate steps so that the Barrick alliance crews can operate effectively while following government health protocols.
"Through the company's Covid-19 operating plan, we have instituted strict prevention measures to protect our workforce and the local communities. Exploration geologists and field assistants have been gradually mobilised to Kyushu and have been exercising 14-day self-isolation prior to commencing work.
“Japan Gold will continue to closely monitor the rapidly changing Covid-19 landscape and act proactively to protect the health of its workforce and stakeholders."