Migoro resource tops 1m oz. gold

Vancouver — The Migoro gold deposit in southwestern Kenya contains about 1.2 million oz., or 65% more than previously thought, according to an independent estimate.

The property, held by Kansai Mining (KAN-V), comprises 310 sq. km along the Migori greenstone belt on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria. The northern portion contains the Macalder mine, which produced copper, zinc, gold and silver from the 1930s to the early 1960s. Exploration from 1988 to 1992 uncovered the MK deposit, which was subsequently developed, to a limited extent, between 1995 and 1998. MK was also subjected to geochemical surveys and 50,000 metres of reverse-circulation drilling.

Kansai’s program of angled diamond drilling extended the strike length of the mineralization and increased its depth to 150 metres depth. The average spacing beteen sections was 50 metres, and a cutoff of 0.25 gram gold was used for each of the four bodies.

The drilling focused on four areas:

— the Kakula-Kalange-Munyu (KKM) zone, which covers some 3 km of strike length;

— the Gori Maria zone, which contains low-grade mineralization that occurs over wide intervals of more than 400 metres of strike;

— the MK zone, which contains high-grade shoots that were extended westerly along strike; and

— the high-grade Nyanza zone.

In addition, two holes intersected precious metal mineralization at the abandoned Macalder massive sulphide deposit.

The latest resource estimate boosts the overall number of contained ounces to 1.2 million from 764,000. The estimate points to 22.1 million tonnes grading 0.96 gram gold (679,000 oz.) in the KKM zone; 8.5 million tonnes grading 0.87 gram gold (240,000 oz.) in the Gori Maria zone; 1.4 million tonnes of 2.32 grams gold (108,000 oz.) in the MK zone; and 1 million tonnes grading 1.8 grams gold in the Macalder tailings (57,878 oz.).

Also, the Nyanza high-grade zone contains 840,000 tonnes grading 5.32 grams gold (144,000 oz.).

Further drilling will to test the extent of each of the four zones for additional resources.

Meanwhile, rainfall from Cyclone Ivan has caused extensive road washouts, hampering access to the company’s Natal project in Venezuela.