Akobo Minerals starts drilling at Joru gold target

After the latest drilling at Segele, and receiving a successful maiden resource estimate, the drill rig has now moved to the next exciting target at Joru for initial drilling. Joru is very different from Segele, both in mineralogy and also expected gold grade. Joru is a very large area, with expected lower grade gold content. The combination of the Segele and Joru targets is very compelling, especially when considering the potential 15 km strike between the two areas. Joru is not an unknown area, Akobo has been conducting exploration work in the area for many years through RC drilling, trenching, and soil sampling. The results of these activities have given Akobo the confidence to have good expectations for the area.

Highlights:

• Disseminated sulfide mineralisation and a highly encouraging Silica-Sericite-Carbonate alteration assemblage and has been intersected in all holes.
• Fine grained visible gold seen at 39.5 m depth in hole JODD03.
• As previously reported, sampling of trenches adjacent to this latest core drilling has resulted in high-grade intercepts in similar rock formations (e.g. 18g/t over 2 m and 12g/t over 1 m).
• Joru is the next priority target after the Inferred Mineral Resource announced for Segele (Inferred Mineral Resource of 78 000 t at 20.9g/t gold).
• A total of 600 m of core drilling has been completed at the Joru target.
• 376 samples have been delivered to the ALS (Addis Ababa) laboratory for analysis.

The Joru gold target has a strike-length of at least 3 km and has so far been investigated with wide spaced geological and structural mapping, soil sampling, and reverse circulation drilling (14 holes totalling 1.375 m). The core drilling announced here is a milestone for the company as it is the start of detailed understanding of the project leading towards eventual resource estimation.

Although the mineralisation style at Joru is different to Segele, the Joru target has also been exploited by government controlled artisanal mining over many parts of the strike length. Akobo Minerals geologists are well acquainted with the lithologies which are found to contain valuable gold mineralisation. The series of quartzofeldspathic shists identified in this core drilling is known to host gold-rich rocks.

Previous exploration identified excellent gold grades in trenches and the potential for a large-volume low-grade deposit, however core-drilling has been needed to understand the lower grades found in RC drilling. Given the highly encouraging alteration assemblage and visible gold (at 39.5 m in hole JODD03), Akobo expects that the assay results from this core drilling campaign will assist greatly in planning future resource definition drilling.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/27042021/akobo-minerals-starts-drilling-at-joru-gold-target/