Oriole Resources plc said that following a review of assay methods it has elected to use a standard fire assay on samples from its 90% owned Mbe orogenic gold project in Cameroon.
DRILLING
The company added that comparisons with photon assays found minor differences to fire assays which also have cost savings based on ability to send smaller samples for tests.
Delays at Ghana customs also affected turnaround while fire assays offered continuity from the previous 7,055m trenching programme.
All results are expected to contribute to a resource estimate later this year.
The 312km2 Mbe licence is one of five within Oriole’s district scale Eastern Central Licence Package (CLP) in the Adamawa region.
Earn-in partner BCM International has acquired an initial 10% interest with a further 40% on a $4 million spend on exploration.
The diamond drilling programme at the MB01-S target is just over a third complete with 2,543m of a planned 6,590m in 24 holes.
Seven holes are complete and drilling has started on the eighth with returns to date showing “more than 60 mineralised intervals”.
Results from holes one to four include 29.75m at 0.88g/t gold, including 17.30m at 1.35g/t gold and 26.30m at 0.65g/t gold, including 10.90m at 1.08g/t gold.
Oriole additionally reported 8.00m at 1.00g/t gold, and 4.24m at 8.12g/t gold, including 1.72m at 19.08g/t gold.
Chief executive Martin Rosser added: “The outcome of the study into the best assaying method to use at our Mbe project shows a clear-cut preference, based on positive technical, cost and reporting timeliness benefits, for fire assaying at Bureau Veritas in Côte d’Ivoire.
“In the meantime, maiden drilling of the MB01-S target is progressing well, with over 2,500m now completed and with the next results expected in Q2 2025.”