Mano River’s Pampana yields more gold

Vancouver — Drilling at the Pampana project in Sierra Leone — a joint venture between Mano River Resources (MNO-V) and Golden Star Resources (GSC-T) — is returning impressive gold grades from beneath an artisanal pit.

Situated 150 km east of Freetown, the property comprises two exclusive prospecting licences, the North and South Pampana, which together encompass 140 sq. km.

The property is underlain by the Sula Mountains greenstone gold belt. Structural features that host gold and base metal mineralization are exposed, and the Pampana River and its tributaries reportedly contained rich alluvial gold deposits.

The North Pampana hosts the advanced Yirisen gold deposit, which was the focus of recent drilling. The licences host additional gold targets at Kalmoro and Masamank, a further 1 km east and 8 km southwest of Yirisen, respectively.

Hole 8 intersected 4.07 grams gold per tonne over 19 metres, as well as 1.71 grams gold over 15 metres. Within this hole, a series of narrow, high-grade veins in a lower-grade envelope resulted in 23.96, 19.58, 9.62, 14.86 and 20.86 grams gold.

The long intersections in hole 8 (34 metres combined) confirm the presence of a significant zone of mineralization beneath the 60-metre-long artisanal working known as the UN pit.

Four holes tested a 100-metre section of the Yirisen zone and returned 7.77 grams gold over 14 metres from a depth of 39 metres. This section included 8 metres grading 13 grams gold.

The Yirisen system trends northeast along 3.75 km of strike and is defined by in situ mineralization, artisanal workings, and soil geochemical anomalies.

Hard-rock gold mineralization was first noted at Yirisen in the late 1950s by the Geological Survey of Sierra Leone. The Survey identified seven northeasterly trending sub-vertical lodes of gold-mineralized quartz veins. In March 2004, channel sampling from 313 samples yielded up to 72.42 grams gold from a half-metre sample length.

Last year, on the South Pampana licence, Mano River reported up to 4.5 grams gold per tonne from grab samples of quartz veins in a zone of strongly folded ultramafics 10 km southwest of Yirisen. The zone appears to be in the same geologic unit as Yirisen.

Golden Star has agreed to spend US$6 million over four years to earn a 51% interest in three of Mano River’s properties, including Pampana, Sonfon and Nimini. Golden Star can increase its interest to 65% by funding a feasibility study and 85% by funding a commercial mine development. Mano River will retain a 2% net-smelter-return royalty in addition to its 15% minimum interest.