High River Gold to test Taparko at depth

High River Gold Mines (HRG-T) is set to begin a 900-metre drilling program on the Taparko gold project in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

The holes are aimed at testing the depth extension to about 200 metres below surface on Zone 3/5, which currently contains about 65% of the identified gold resource at Taparko.

The zone is mineralized over a 1.1-km strike length and has been systematically drilled to a depth of 100 metres. It remains open to depth and is reported to contain higher-grade sections over minable widths.

The company hopes to determine the potential for either an expanded open pit (with higher gold prices) or an underground operation following open-pit mining to the 100-metre level.

At last report, Taparko’s unclassified gold resource stood at 12.6 million tonnes grading 2.6 grams gold per tonne at a cutoff grade of 1 gram gold per tonne. The resource is contained in four zones along a 4.4-km-long section of the Taparko shear zone. It is reported to be amenable to low-cost open-pit mining.

Earlier this summer, High River, which owns a 61.5% interest in Taparko, took an option to acquire the 18.5% of the project that is held by Queenstake Resources (QRL-T). The Government of Burkina Faso holds the remaining 20%.

High River is the operator and continues feasibility work on the project. The company aims to optimize capital and operating costs and increase reserves.