The Sefwi Greenstone Belt is host to significant gold mining operations including the Bibiani and Chirano mines which have produced +8Moz to date
Asante announces significant gold intercepts from its near mine exploration programme at South Russel and Aboduabo prospects. (Credit: Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay)
Asante Gold Corporation (CSE:ASE | GSE:ASG | FRANKFURT:1A9 | U.S.OTC:ASGOF) (“Asante” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce results from its ongoing exploration drilling program at the South Russel and Aboduabo prospects located on our Bibiani – Chirano mines corridor on the Sefwi Greenstone Belt in Ghana.
The Sefwi Greenstone Belt is host to significant gold mining operations including the Bibiani and Chirano mines which have produced +8Moz to date. Asante controls 53 km strike length of the corridor which includes the Bibiani and Chirano shear zones, where gold mineralization is typically hosted in shear faults and veins. The Company’s Bibiani and Chirano gold mines have current mineral reserves of ~ 2.8Moz and Measured and Indicated resources of over 4.5Moz. The immediate exploration focus for Asante is to aggressively explore our proven mineralized trends to discover new mineable deposits and grow our mine and near mine resources and mine life.
South Russel Prospect
The Company previously outlined the strike length of gold mineralization at South Russel as 200m, in its press release of August 17, 2022. New drilling results have now extended it to 500m. Drill intercepts confirm high grade mineralization from surface, consistent in width and grade to previous intercepts. The gold mineralized system remains open along strike and to depth. The South Russell prospect is located just 2 km south of the Bibiani Process Plant.
Highlights
Recent drill intercepts include 21.5m down hole grading 3.37 g/t Au; of which 13.5m grades 5.05 g/t
Footprint of gold mineralization now tested and confirmed amounts to approximately 500m strike length and remains open along strike and to depth
Assay results continue to confirm significant intercepts from surface
All drill results are outside of the current mine plan mineral resource
Follow-up drill holes are planned to the south and north along strike of the recent intercepts
Selected intercepts include:
MGDD22-194 – 21.5m @ 3.37 g/t Au from 22.0m to 43.5mIncludes 13.5m @ 5.05 g/t Au from 24m to 37.5m
MGDD22-182 – 14m @ 4.49 g/t Au from 216m to 230mIncludes 12m @ 5.20 g/t Au from 218m to 230m
MGRCD22-066 – 11.9m @ 3.22 g/t Au from 174.1m to 186mIncludes 4m @ 7.53 g/t Au from 180m to 184m
MGRCD22-164 – 8m @ 3.36 g/t Au from 195m to 203m
MGDD22-105 – 7m @ 3.26 g/t Au from 171m to 178m
MGDD22-119- 5m @ 3.62 g/t Au from 177m to 182m
MGDD22-103 – 10m @ 1.86 g/t Au from 181m to 191m
Aboduabo Prospect
The Aboduabo prospect is located approximately 5km north of the Chirano Process Plant and 10 km south of the Bibiani Process Plant. It lies within the Bibiani trend, is hosted in Birimian sedimentary rock sequences, and is different in style compared to the Chirano gold deposits which are hosted in Birimian volcanic and granitoid sequences along the sub parallel Chirano trend.
The historical exploration of the Aboduabo project comprised of 54 holes that delineated a mineralized strike of 1.3km and 500 meters wide. Significant gold assays. at shallow depth from surface, were noted in previous drilling programs. Some of the historical drill results include:
Highlights
24m down grading hole 4.31 g/t Au
25m down hole grading 2.95 g/t Au
23m down hole grading 2.65 g/t Au
23m down hole grading 2.41 g/t Au
32m down hole grading 2.17 g/t Au from CHRC1054 CHRC798D CHRC723 CHRC720 and CHCH009A respectively (see Figure 4).
Exploration activities at Aboduabo were initiated immediately after our recent acquisition of Chirano, with drill results acquired to date confirming that the mineralized system at Aboduabo is open for extension at depth and along strike. Drill results from the first hole of the current program have intersected 21.5m @ 2.99 g/t Au including 11.35m @ 4.73 g/t Au. The current drilling program was initiated in September 2022 and has been accelerated as Asante intends to prepare a maiden resource by Q4 2023 and, if warranted a starter pit soon thereafter.
Current Drill Highlights
CHDD3339 – 21.5m @ 2.99 g/t AuIncludes 11.35m @ 4.73 g/t Au
CHDD3341 – 22.0m @ 1.31 g/t AuIncludes 12.0m @ 1.72 g/t Au
CHRC3343D – 4.05m @ 5.56 g/t Au
CHDD3344 – 17.6m @ 1.2 g/t Au
CHDD3345 – 9m @ 2.93 g/t Au
Assay results continue to confirm significant intercepts near surface
All drill results are not included in the current mine mineral resource
Follow-up drill holes are planned to test depth extensions of the recent intercepts
Dave Anthony, President, and CEO stated,
“We are pleased to report the assay results from our exploration drilling program at South Russel and Aboduabo where drilling to advance the two targets to resource stage is continuing.
Strike length of South Russel mineralization has been extended from 200m to 500m supporting our view that the 53 km long Bibiani – Chirano gold corridor is very prospective for discovery of new resources and remains key to the organic growth of the two mines.
Asante plans to initiate a Feasibility Study after the maiden resource has been prepared, to consider development of a starter pit. We anticipate a starter pit will be initiated in Q4 2023.
Exploration activities at both mines have achieved significant success over the past 12 months. Drilling at the Walsh satellite pit at Bibiani increased reserves currently being mined from about 20,000 ounces to over 100,000 ounces. Brownfields exploration drilling completed in 2022 proximal to the existing pits at Chirano have also delivered positive results, in line with our intention to replace reserves currently being mined at Chirano. We remain on track at both mines, to complete exploration drilling to extend Life of Mine to +10 years.”
Source: Company Press Release