Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX:ORE) has announced positive results from the start of an extensive 120,000m drill program to further infill and expand gold resources at its 100% owned Bomboré Project in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
Of the first 18 holes, 14 targeted and intersected the Maga Main Zone covering a 650m strike length at depths between 50 to 122 m (average depth of 89m) in the fresh-rock (sulphide) mineralization. These intersections average 1.18g/t which are in line with projections from the current model down to this depth. Ten holes, including seven that were collared to intersect the Maga Main Zone, also intersected mineralization on the eastern flank (hanging wall) of the main zone (Maga HW) over a strike length of 300m at depths between 10 to 116m and with an average grade of 0.95 g/t. These results are also in line with the current resource model. The results validate the current resource model and more importantly, confirm the extension and grade of the sulphide mineralization below the model and thereby the immediate potential to further expand resources at depth with further drilling.
"Although we have only completed less than 5% of the planned resource expansion drilling program to date, the initial results from the Maga area are very encouraging as they indicate continuity below the portion of the deposit previously drilled and below the current resource model" said Pascal Marquis, V.P. Exploration for Orezone.
Bomboré contains 1.6Moz of indicated resources and 1.9Moz Inferred resources at an average grade of 0.9g/t contained within optimized open pit shells. Over 80% of the resources are located within 80m from surface and drilling had only averaged 60m deep. Drilling will focus on expanding resources and testing continuity of the sulphide resources at depths between 60 to 120m. Core drilling commenced in November with one rig and the Company has secured two additional core rigs and one reverse circulation rig that will be progressively commissioned during the first quarter.
The dip of the mineralized zone at depth is slightly steeper than expected with the true width of the mineralization represented by 85% of the core length intervals. The half-core samples were collected by Orezone employees using a diamond saw. The samples from the weathered zone were prepared by Abilab Burkina s.a.r.l. (a subsidiary of ALS-Chemex) and SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l., and then split by Orezone to 1kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 1kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWell™catalyst. The samples from the fresh or sulphide zone were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou and then split by Orezone to 100g using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 50g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at Abilab Burkina s.a.r.l. (a subsidiary of ALS-Chemex). Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program (QCP) including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. This program was executed under the supervision of Dr. Pascal Marquis, V.P. Exploration for Orezone, who is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and approved the technical information in this release.