Apr 12 2013
Rockridge Capital Corp. ("Rockridge"; the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling operations have resumed at the Fatou gold project, located in southern Mali, West Africa.
Rockridge President, Karl Kottmeier, said, "I am pleased to report that we have commenced our Spring 2013 drill program at the Fatuous gold project. While the delay in restarting was frustrating, Rockridge management and directors deemed it necessary to ensure that the efforts against the insurgents in north-east Mali, albeit over 700km away, were successful prior to deploying crews into Mali. We are pleased to report that our camp encountered no problems during this delay."
Drill Program
The Spring drill program includes testing eight significant new targets that have been identified from the newly acquired geophysical data, all of which have similar geophysical characteristics to the Fatou Main mineralized zone.
The drill program will test for the presence of Thermal Aureole Gold ("TAG") type mineralisation, which has been modelled for the geophysical response in the Buckle target area. This is the same style of mineralisation found at the Morilla Gold Mine located 100 km to the northeast. The Company has also planned both infill and extension drilling at the Fininko, Fatou Main and Digan North targets. Please see attached map.
Highlights
The successful completion of a systematic exploration program, geological mapping, airborne geophysics, geochemistry soil grid sampling and selected traverse sampling (MMI and auger) has substantially increased the geological knowledge base of the 250 km2 permit area. Several drilling campaigns between May 2010 and April 2012, including 242 reverse circulation (RC) holes totaling 17.3 km and 105 diamond drill (DD) holes totaling 22.7 km, predominantly confined to the three mineralized targets tested to date have been drilled, logged, sampled and stored. A preliminary resource calculation for these target areas is being completed.
From core descriptions, core orientation and petrography studies on core samples, the following geological observations have been made:
At Fatou Main, the frequency of gold bearing vein development is such that the network of veins, veinlets and stringers forms a shallow 45 degree dipping stockwork, plunging to the south-east. This mineralization occurs within a dilational zone that has affinities similar to other well-known Birimian deposits such as Esaase (Asanko Gold) and Damang (Goldfields).
At Fininko, the structurally complex sub-vertical mineralized zone trends parallel to a NNW trending shear zone with gold associated with a mafic dyke intrusion. Most of the mineralization drilled to date is hosted in saprolite.
At Digan North, the geology is comprised of tuffaceous sediments, granodiorite intrusions, siltstones and schists. Mineralization is interpreted as being spatially associated with intrusives and possible fault zones. Limited oriented DD core results are available, but early indications suggest a mineralized zone with more similarities to Fatou Main than to Fininko.
Since March 2012, Metal Mobile Ion (MMI) sampling has been completed over priority targets. In addition, several independent experts with extensive knowledge of Mali and West African gold deposits have been engaged to critically appraise all data. The joint observations are as follows:
- The lithologies, structures and metamorphic grade on the Fatou property show important similarities with the Morila gold deposit in Mali.
- Detailed interpretation of the 2880 line km helicopter airborne geophysical datasets flown in August and September, 2011, by Geotech (Toronto), indicate the presence of 12 highly prospective targets in the Fatou Gold Project Area, and strongly suggest that the TAG deposit model is a valid exploration model at Fatou. TAG mineralisation has a distinctive association where ore deposits occur in the thermal aureoles of granitoid batholiths. In West Africa two of the largest TAG deposits are Morila and Obuasi.
- Further expert opinion suggests strong similarities between Fatou and the Essakane Main Zone structure, where gold mineralisation also plunges gently to the southeast.
Metallurgy
Metallurgical testwork on eight diamond drill core samples from Fatou Main and three samples from the Fininko target is currently underway at the accredited SGS South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Southdale, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mr. Peter Camden Smith, (M.Sc., G.D.Eng., M.B.L., Pr.Sci.Nat.), Vice President, Exploration is the Qualified Person for the Company as required by National Instrument 43-101.
To view accompanying Drilling Plan, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/FatouProjectDrillingPlan.jpg