Kavango Resources plc has started drilling to delineate a mineral resource for the basis of an open pit mine at Prospect 3 within the Hillside gold project in Matabeleland, southern Zimbabwe.
DEPOSITS
The programme will also obtain samples for metallurgical test work.
Prospect 3 is the second of two priority targets at Hillside, with Prospect 4 planned to have an underground high-grade gold operation.
The company said that Prospect 3 had the “highest potential” to begin commercial production, based on exploration data and incorporated mapping of gold-producing artisanal workings.
The initial high priority target area, of 200m across strike and 100m along strike, is in the vicinity of hole NSDD0002.
Kavango added that artisanal miners currently produced gold from 12 surface workings with at least two different vein orientations next to NSDD0002.
The drill hole intersected an additional nine grading structures under deeper cover and yet to be worked.
The company previously drilled three exploration holes into the target area at Prospect 3.
Results from two holes demonstrated continuation of gold mineralisation along 200m strike and intercepted “multiple gold-bearing zones”.
A mining engineer, experienced in modern techniques and processes, will oversee the design and construction of the open-pit and heap-leach processing operation, after the MRE is established.
“The high level of artisanal workings across Prospect 3 is strongly indicative of the area’s potential for larger scale, near-surface gold deposits that Kavango can mine,” said chief executive Ben Turney.
“The artisanal workings have focused on higher-grade material, but to a limited and shallow extent.
“Our exploration team has identified much more extensive potential, which we will now test with a focused drill campaign to develop a maiden mineral resource here.
“Assuming this drill campaign is successful, we expect to move to a pre-mining, grade control drill campaign and metallurgical test work.”
The company hopes to bring Prospects 3 and 4 into production over the next 18 months.