More gold at Sabodala for Oromin

Vancouver – The Sabodala gold project in eastern Senegal continues to yield promising results for Oromin Explorations (OLE-T) – the project now hosts four defined resources, two mineralized zones drawing close to deposit status, a new discovery area, and at least eight more exploration targets.

The four Sabodala deposits host a combined 2.26 million oz. gold. Three of the deposits – Golouma West, Golouma South, and Kerekounda – sit close together near the centre of the project. An updated estimate out in March pegged inferred resources within the Goloumas, as they are collectively called, at 9.7 million tonnes grading 3.01 grams gold per tonne.

At Kerekounda, a continuous shear-hosted vein system that Oromin has traced for 300 metre strike and to 300 metres depth, current drilling is stepping out to test the deposit’s down-dip extent beneath earlier, shallower intercepts.

And a new set of drill results indicate the deposit does continue at depth. Hole 445 cut 14 metres grading 4.08 grams gold from 251 metres depth, hole 448 returned 5.96 grams gold over 11 metres from 234 metres downhole, and hole 611 hit 5 metres carrying 10.7 grams gold.

Some drills also returned near-surface intercepts. Hole 596 returned 8.48 grams gold over 9 metres from just 8 metres depth, hole 601 cut 8 metres of 13.97 grams gold from 61 metres downhole, and hole 600 intercepted 7 metre averaging 8.53 grams gold from 47 metres below surface.

Kerekounda remains open to expansion in all lateral directions and at depth. Oromin regards the deposit an a possible open pit-underground starter mine – the average resource grade at Kerekounda is 7.81 grams gold, which is more than twice the average grades at Golouma West and South.

At Golouma South, drill hole 557 recently returned the deepest mineralization to date: 3.5 grams gold over 17 metres from 248 metres downhole. Nearby, hole 555 cut 9 metres of 12.79 grams gold from 159 metres depth.

And infill drilling at Golouma West also returned strong grades, including 5 metres grading 46.9 grams gold from 283 metres down hole 430. hole 434 also cut a nice intercept: 9 metres averaging 13.39 grams gold.

The fourth defined deposit, which sits roughly 6km north of the Goloumas, is called Masato. The update estimated Masato’s inferred resource at 35.4 million tonnes grading 1.16 grams gold, for a contained gold count of 1.32 million oz.

Drilling at Masato is currently focused on infill work to inform the pre-feasibility study and drills are returning typical Masato intercepts. Recent results include 1.25 grams gold over 20 metres, 1.8 grams gold over 15 metres, and 1.66 grams gold over 20 metres.

And the company’s continuing efforts to systematically examine the remaining targets on the property were recently rewarded. At a target 1 km south of Kerekounda two drills hit mineralization in a new zone.

At 56 metres down hole 578 the drill hit 12 metres averaging 10.2 grams gold, including 1 metres carrying 107 grams gold. And from 100 metres down dip, hole 579 intersected 12 metres grading 23.53 grams gold from 192 metres depth, then a few metres later hit 8 metres of 16.54 grams gold. Previous drilling at the nearby Golouma Northeast target returned 98.4 grams gold over 3 metres and 17.6 grams gold over 8 metres.

With five drills turning at Sabodala, Oromin says it main foci are expanding the high-grade Kerekounda deposit and outlining and defining oxide mineralization potential at its other deposits. And, excited by its recent new discovery, the company says it will continue to evaluate other structural and geochemical targets throughout the region.

A pre-feasibility study for Sabodala is underway and results are expected in the third quarter. Oromin owns 43.5% of the Sabodala project and acts as project operator. Two private companies hold the rest.

News of its latest Sabodala drill results left Oromin’s share price unchanged at 68¢. The company has a 52-week trading range of 38.5¢ to $2.84 and has 66 million shares outstanding, 80 million fully diluted.