MDN, a mining exploration company, has begun the February drilling program on its Nikonga project located in Tanzania. The program will assess two gold-in-soil anomaly trends of 2 km strike length.
Last, year, the company’s geologists conducted the first sampling at the time of a mapping program on the Nikonga project. The results obtained were quite encouraging as the eastern segment returned grades that ranged from 4 g/t gold to 33 g/t gold.
The main structure, Kezeria, is the first drill target which strikes at 290°. The maximum value of 33 g/t gold was received from this structure. A sub parallel structure is the second target which strikes at 306°, approximately 500 m to the north of Kezeria and returned a highest grade of 23.7 g/t gold. In addition, a number of holes will be drilled to assess the presence of stockwork, veinlets or other kinds of gold-bearing features between these two main structures, which are located 500 m apart.
The artisanal mine sites have gold grades that match with two sub parallel trends of soil anomalies with gold values ranging from 50 to 580 ppb. The sub parallel trends are 500 m apart and strike northwest.
Mapping showed that the bedrock remains exposed in the pits, which were dug by the artisanal miners. The outcrops normally occur above an altitude of 1,230 m and also remained exposed due to soil erosion. Sandstone, clay, arkose and gravelly sandstone are found to the north, and granite and volcanics occur to the south. These volcanic and sedimentary rocks feature the gold-bearing quartz veins, which are normally made of grey to black quartz. Gold mineralization has now been confirmed approximately 500 m towards the north of the sub parallel structures and in the Kezeria sector.