Reunion Gold steps up drilling at Oko West in Guyana; aims for early 2023 resource

Based on positive drill results to date, South America-focused Reunion Gold (TSXV: RGD; US-OTC: RGDFF) is planning to accelerate drilling at its Oko West gold project in Guyana, and postpone the release of a first resource for the project to early 2023. 

The junior, which had originally planned to release the initial resource in the third quarter of 2022, now says that would be “premature.” Instead, it plans to ramp up drilling in order to explore the potential to expand the mineralized envelope at the Kairuni zone at depth and along strike. 

The latest highlights released from Oko West include 52.5 metres of 5.19 grams gold per tonne (hole D22-135) from only 4.5 metres depth; 49.8 metres of 4.12 grams gold from 221.7 metres (hole D22-124); and 48.5 metres of 3.18 grams gold from 33 metres (hole D22-127). 

The latest batch of results from the project continue to show strong continuity of mineralization at Oko West’s Kairuni zone down to 250 metres depth, especially in the block 4 area, where drilling has been concentrated. 

Reunion also said that the start of deeper step-out drilling into blocks 1, 5 and 6 has shown that gold mineralization continues with strong grades and widths both north and south of block 4. 

The miner plans to add two high-capacity drill rigs in the fourth quarter, bringing its total complement to five diamond drill rigs and one reverse-circulation drill rig. 

The Longueuil, Que.-based company is currently completing an 85-hole drill program totalling more than 28,000 metres that is expected to be completed by early 2023. 

Gold mineralization at the Kairuni zone has been outlined over 2.5 km of strike and to a depth of 575 metres. Hole D-112, released in June, delivered 71.15 metres of 3.68 grams gold (within a broader intercept of 115.5 metres of 2.68 grams gold) ending at 586 metres depth.

Oko West, located in the Cuyuni Mining District, 95 km west of Georgetown was discovered by Reunion in 2020. Gold mineralization occurs in shear zones along the contact between a greenstone belt assemblage and a granitoid unit. 

Reunion Gold shares traded at 30¢ apiece in Toronto in late morning, up 11.3% in the past five days. The shares have traded in a 52-week window of 8¢ and 36¢. The junior has a market capitalization of $285.8 million.