Enegex (ASX: ENX) has defined a substantial new aircore drill target at its Tougbe exploration permit in Côte d’Ivoire after power auger drilling confirmed broad, near-surface gold mineralisation over a large area.
The auger program delineated a coherent target measuring approximately 650 metres in strike, more than 100m in width, and covering around 10 hectares.
It featured a total of 70 auger holes for 1,129m, with composite samples generally collected over four-metre intervals to assess all-of-hole gold values.
Within the defined target area, the average all-of-hole gold grade from combined auger and historical aircore data is 0.34 grams per tonne gold, which Enegex considers indicative of a strongly mineralised system.
Enegex believes the consistent widths suggest the potential for a significant gold deposit rather than narrow, isolated structures.
Strong Near-Surface Gold Results
Best auger results included 18m at 1.59g/t gold including 8m at 3.22g/t gold from surface, along with 10m at 1.17g/t gold from surface, 15m at 0.77g/t gold to end of hole, and 18m at 0.63g/t gold from shallow depths.
These results compare favourably with historical vertical aircore intercepts within the same area, which returned intersections such as 39m at 0.71g/t gold and 32m at 0.62g/t.
Gold mineralisation is interpreted to be hosted within multiple sets of steeply dipping quartz veins developed in metasedimentary rocks.
The inferred mineralised trend strikes north-east and parallels a major regional structure west of the drilled area, consistent with known gold controls elsewhere in the Birimian terrane.
Enegex said the shallow vertical nature of auger drilling is not optimal for testing steeply dipping structures, reinforcing the need for angled aircore drilling to better constrain true thickness and continuity.
Follow-Up Drilling and Broader Exploration
The company is planning an angled aircore drilling program of approximately 3,000m to test the newly defined Tougbe target zone and expects to commence in early February.
In parallel, Enegex has begun a new 160-hole power auger program over an undercover structural target to the north-west, where alluvial cover has previously limited exploration.
Elsewhere on the Tougbe permit, newly identified artisanal workings will be followed up with rock chip sampling to assess additional near-surface gold potential.
Enegex has also received grant decrees for four additional exploration permits at Gogo West, Tougbe East, Toumodi, and Dimbokro, and has reconnaissance mapping and stream sediment sampling planned at all four in the coming months.
