Altus Strategies Plc has announced that a 10 000 m reverse circulation (RC) and 1300 m diamond drilling (DD) programme is underway at the company's 100% owned Diba gold project in western Mali. Diba hosts a shallow-dipping, near-surface gold deposit (the Diba deposit) and a number of other prospective targets.
Highlights
- Combined 11 300 m DD and RC drilling programme at the Diba gold project in western Mali.
- Previous intersections from the Diba deposit include (down-the-hole and not true widths):
- 3.34 g/t gold (Au) over 60 m from 17 m.
- 8.50 g/t Au over 24 m from 20 m (including 26.45 g/t Au over 7 m).
- 43.83 g/t Au over 5 m from surface.
- Results returned from Diba NW prospect, where previous intersections include (down-the-hole and not true widths):
- 1.45 g/t Au over 22 m from 55 m.
- 1.87 g/t Au over 10 m from 8 m.
- Drilling programme designed to:
- Expand the current mineral resource estimate (MRE) of the Diba deposit.
- Test the strike and down dip potential of the Diba NW discovery.
- Test the extent of the high-grade zone within the Diba deposit.
- Additional 7500 m air core (AC) drilling programme to test undrilled satellite targets.
- Diba is strategically located in a world-famous gold belt that hosts numerous opencast mines.
Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus, commented: “We are delighted to report that drilling has recommenced at the Diba gold project in western Mali, following the end of the rainy season. A significant 11 300 m combined DD and RC programme is now underway, which is being supplemented by up to 7500 m of AC drilling. The drilling programme has been designed to expand and infill the existing Diba deposit and define a maiden resource at the 900 m-long Diba NW discovery. The AC programme will be used to test numerous, as yet undrilled, satellite targets which are proximal to the Diba deposit.
“Recent drilling from Diba NW has established a series of consistent shallow-dipping zones of gold mineralisation. Previous exploration drilling at Diba NW has returned an intersection of 1.45 g/t Au over 22 m from 55 m. The programme at Diba NW will focus on testing potential extensions to the mineralisation along strike and down dip, culminating in the completion of a maiden resource estimate for the prospect. We look forward to updating shareholders on the results of this programme when they are received.”