Ariana Resources announces Kepez North drilling results

Highlights

• Infill resource drilling results from the Kepez North vein include:
  • 2.7 m at 15.26 g/t gold (Au) and 90.7 g/t silver (Ag).
  • 2.6 m at 5.75 g/t Au and 9.2 g/t Ag.
  • 6.05 m at 2.34 g/t Au and 22.5 g/t Ag.
• New intercepts from surface for the Kepez North scree returned:
  • 4.5 m at 10.21 g/t Au and 133.8 g/t Ag.
  • 4 m at 8.26 g/t Au and 107.3 g/t Ag.
  • 1.5 m at 5.02 g/t Au and 51 g/t Ag.
• Revised geological model now supports the mineralised vein with more confidence, and also includes a robust domain for highly mineralised surface scree.
• Revised resource estimation and optimisation studies now underway.

Dr Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented: "The Kepez area has always been an enigmatic jewel in the portfolio. Our earliest work at the site undertaken in 2005 confirmed the presence of very high gold grades in mineralised surface scree. However, follow-up drilling in 2006 along strike and down dip of the structure, while encountering vein mineralisation, did not provide many significant intercepts. Despite this, further work over the years, concentrating in a limited area of 150 m by 150 m, continued to confirm the presence of very high-grade precious metal mineralisation. The latest drilling was the first to be conducted in the central part of this unique area and demonstrates, for the first time, the potential for a northwest trending high-grade mineralised shoot, cutting across the main vein structure, and which dips at about 40° to the west. This new data will lead to a revised resource estimate for Kepez, which now shows the potential for a significant grade boost. The fact that most of the high-grade mineralisation is directly accessible from surface to a depth of about 70 m, suggests that the majority of the resource is likely to convert to mining reserves. Accordingly, our JV is looking at ways to expedite the mining of this area."

Drilling programme

Following the end of an extensive 6-month drilling programme at the Kiziltepe Mine, which exceeded 10 000 m, drilling continued at Kepez, which is located 6.5 km by straight-line or 15 km by road, northeast of the Kiziltepe Mine. From late May, the exploration team completed a short (approximately 1000 m) diamond drilling programme at Kepez. The primary aim of the programme was to complete in-fill resource drilling at Kepez North, within the limits of a newly acquired forestry permit. A secondary objective was to mobilise the drill rig to the Kepez Main area (1 km south of Kepez North), where several holes were planned to target the Kepez Main vein for the very first time.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/30062021/ariana-resources-announces-kepez-north-drilling-results/