Toro Gold provides exploration update at Mako mine

JDrilling highlights from 18 new core holes completed (PWD382 to PWD399) include:

• 19.5 m @ 3.4 g/t Au from 193.4 m in PWD394.
• 19.5 m @ 3.0 g/t Au from 224.6 m in PWD389 (including 9 m @ 5.6 g/t Au from 235.1 m).
• 25.5 m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 247.0 in PWD392.
• 19.5 m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 229.2 m in PWD385.
15.0 m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 239.7 m in PWD399. 19.5 m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 232.1 m in PWD387. 10.5 m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 247.2 m in PWD396.

The 15 000 m 60 hole coring programme is scheduled for completion by the end of September with 90% of the planned metres drilled to date. Up to the end of August, 53 drill holes had been completed for 13 300 m with the results of 38 drill holes received to date.

Howard Bills, Chief Exploration Officer, commented: “Drilling has progressed well at Mako through the wet season and is on track for completion in September. We are pleased that the main Petowal lode continues to yield encouraging results and we are looking forward to being able to use the results of 15 000 m of new exploration data and 10 months of in pit mine geology data to prepare an updated independent Mineral Resource Estimate in the last quarter of the year. We look forward to updating you on further progress in the near future.”

Drill programme objectives

The main objective of the drilling programmes is to investigate the potential to extend the open pit life through exploration of the main mineralised lode beneath the current final pit design. In addition, some deeper drill holes have been sited to investigate the potential for underground mining targeting a southwest plunging zone of mineralisation at SW Petowal and a steeply plunging zone at NE Petowal.

Two areas of the Petowal ore body are being investigated:

• Southwest and Central Petowal over a strike length of 460 m (45 planned holes, 12 000 m).
• Northeast Petowal over a strike length of 280 m (10 planned holes, 3000 m).

The drill spacing achieved across both sections of the ore body beneath the reserve pit (Level 100 m) and to depth beneath the US$1500/oz resource pit (Level 60m to 40 m) is now 40 x 40 m.

Results to date

Of the 53 holes drilled to date the results for 38 holes (PWD362 to 399) have been received. Drilling at depth beneath the pit has continued to confirm the Petowal geological model and mineralisation is being intersected where predicted by the block model.

Resource update

Final assays results will be available in mid-October when the new exploration data for the 15 000 m drilling programme as well as grade control drilling data from 10 months of mining activity will be provided to Cube Consulting Pty Ltd, of Perth Australia, who will be carrying out the Mineral Resource Estimation update through October. A Cube Consulting geologist visited Mako in August to review the exploration drilling and mining geology activities in the open pit.

Sample preparation

Drill core is subjected to a series of logging and data recording procedures and then cut and sampled (half core) over 1.5 m intervals. The half core samples are subjected to a standard industry practice sample preparation at Toro Gold’s sample preparation laboratory at Mako. Samples are jaw crushed to a nominal top size of 2 mm, 1 kg is riffle split and milled (LM2) to 95% passing 75 microns and finally a 150 g of pulp split is taken for assay. Prepared samples are being routinely assayed at ALS Loughrea in Ireland by 50 g Fire Assay with an ICP Finish. Toro’s internal QA-QC procedures include introduction of 5% prepared Blanks, 5% pulp Duplicates and 5% CRM’s. The sample preparation laboratory is audited on a 3 month basis by an independent consultant.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/12092018/toro-gold-provides-exploration-update-at-mako-mine/