African projects thrive despite downturn

One of the few bright spots on the exploration front is Tanzania, where, in recent years, several majors have built sizable mining operations. In particular, Tan Range Exploration (TNX-V) is reporting good progress on its efforts to find possible extensions of Barrick Gold’s Bulyanhulu gold mine in the Lake Victoria district.

Tan Range says a recently completed rotary-air-blast (RAB) drill program at its Itetemia property encountered mineralization similar in nature to the Reefs 1 and 2 deposits being exploited at the adjoining Buly mine. One of the holes returned 12.4 grams gold per tonne over 2 metres near a previous hole that returned 0.4 gram over 40 metres.

Barrick holds an option to earn a 60% interest in Itetemia. As part of that agreement, the major has completed four $1-million placements in Tan Range, for a total of $4 million. Tan Range intends to continue exploration at Itetemia, and at its other properties in the Lake Victoria district.

While Tanzania appears to be the favoured exploration destination for juniors and majors alike, Mali is attracting attention owing to the success of the Sadiola Hill mine, owned by Iamgold and AngloGold.

Junior Etruscan Resources (EET-T) recently initiated exploration programs at its two permits in Mali. The main target at the Kolomba permit is a 5-km-long, gold-in-soil anomaly identified in the late 1980s by the same regional geochemical survey that outlined the Sadiola Hill deposit and nearby satellite deposits. Initial work is aimed at determining the size, magnitude and source of the Kolomba anomaly.

Geological work in advance of trenching and drilling is planned for the Djelimangara permit covering the strike extension of the Mali West shear zone, immediately south of Sadiola Hill. Etruscan says previous geochemical surveys “have outlined a profusion of gold anomalies in a variety of geological environments,” some of which are similar to targets being explored by Iamgold and AngloGold near Sadiola Hill.

The company adds that Djelimangara has the potential to host significant gold deposits “by virtue of the structural complexity of the ground, coupled with the favourable geological extensions from the Sadiola Hill property.”

In nearby Burkina Faso, High River Gold Mines (HRG-T) has started a 900-metre program of deep drilling at its Taparko project. The program is aimed at finding depth extensions of the existing resource, which stands at 12.6 million tonnes grading 2.6 grams gold per tonne in four zones.

High River operates and owns 61.5% of Taparko, which it describes as “one of the most promising gold projects in Burkina Faso.” The company has rights to increase this to 80%, though the government will retain the remaining 20% interest.

High River says results from its deep drilling will help determine the potential for either an expanded open pit or an underground operation following open-pit mining to the 100-metre level.