High River drills Labola

An initial round of reconnaissance drilling has returned some narrow, high-grade intervals from High River Gold Mines‘ (HRG-T) Labola gold property in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Labola comprises three subparallel mineralized quartz vein structures, dubbed the Central zone, with another subparallel zone situated some 2.5 km to the east. The veins strike some 11 km within a 300-metre wide deformation corridor. So far, drilling indicates the zones vary from a few metres up to 80 metres in width.

Previously, 110 samples of quartz vein material derived from waste piles at artisnal mining sites returned an average of 5.4 grams gold, with a maximum of 72.6 grams. Fifty-two samples of host rock averaged 0.8 gram gold.

The recent drill program comprised 18 reverse-circulation (RC) holes totalling 1,604 metres and 1,628 metres of rotary-air-blast (RAB) drilling along one fence to test the Labola shear structure at 500-metre intervals over 11 km.

The campaign’s best result came in hole 4, which cut 2 metres (from 74 m) averaging 32.9 grams gold per tonne, including 1 metre of 65.2 grams. The hole was sunk at the southern end of the main Central zone.

Some 4.3 km to the north, hole 14 yielded 1 metre (from 81 m) of 52 grams gold; a 4-metre interval higher in the hole returned 2.9 grams gold. Other high-grade values form the Central zone include:

• Hole 10 — 2 metres (from 54 m) of 20.7 grams, and 1 metre (from 80 m) of 12.8 grams;
• Hole 12 2 metres (from 56 m) of 23.6 grams, including 1 metre of 46.2 grams ; and
• Hole 13 5 metres (form 32 m) of 7.1 grams gold.

High River says the results indicate the potential for broad, low-grade mineralization accompanying high-grade shoots. Among the multiple zones encountered by hole 10 are 6 metres of 2.5 grams, 10 metres of 1 gram, and 11 metres at 1.9 gram. Hole 13 encountered a 40-to-50 metre wide zone of quartz veining containing 5 metres of 7.1 grams, with each 1-metre sample yielding 1.5 grams, 11.4 grams, 11.2 grams, 6.7 grams and 4.6 grams.

Visible gold was observed in nine of the 18 RC holes.

Meanwhile, a fence of 48 inclined RAB holes along a 1.6-km gap between artisanal gold workings on the Central zone cut the trace of one of the two central quartz vein structures. Hole 43 yielded 6 metres of 0.42 gram gold. The company believes the shallow RAB drilling may not have reached the targeted quartz vein system as the area corresponds to a topographic low.

Three RC holes on the south side of the gap returned a best interval of 1 metre (from 45 m) running 7.4 grams gold in hole 2; the remaining intervals generally measure 1-2 metres and grade 1-2 grams gold.

Meanwhile, hole 16, the lone hole to test the easternmost structure, encountered two high-grade quartz veins 15 metres apart, and returned 2 metres (from 71 metres down hole) running 32 grams gold, and 1 metre (from 51 m) of 8.4 grams. The hole also returned visible gold. So far, the structure has been traced over 1 km.

Looking ahead, the company plans further induced polarization and magnetic surveying to follow up on an IP survey that outlined a strong chargeability and resistivity response over the Central zone’s mineralization, and indicated the presence of additional similar structures on a 1-sq.-km section of the Central zone.

The company also plans detailed geological mapping, soil geochemical sampling and geophysical surveying in anticipation of a second phase of drilling.