Tietto Minerals adds more gold intercepts from infill drilling at APG deposit within Abujar project
The latest drill results will be incorporated in a mineral resource upgrade at Abujar, which is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
An extensive infill drilling campaign at the Abujar-Pischon-Golikro (APG) gold deposit within the greater Abujar project in West Africa continues to add multiple open-pitable gold intercepts for owner Tietto Minerals (ASX: TIE).
The company has completed 277 diamond holes for 48,453m across Abujar since October, including 45 holes for 7,337m at APG.
It remains on track to drill more than 50,000m across the project by the next resource cut-off date later this month, including another 2,500m at APG for incorporation in a resource model update slated for delivery by the end of the quarter.
Latest highlight intercepts recorded from infill work to date are 15m at 2.25 grams per tonne gold from 123m, including 1m at 25.53g/t; 13m at 1.61g/t gold from 47m, including 1m at 16g/t; 17m at 0.95g/t gold from 15m, including 6m at 1.71g/t; and 15m at 0.96g/t gold from 16m, including 2m at 2.82g/t.
More than 5,400 core samples are still at the laboratory awaiting assay results.
Conversion of resources
Tietto’s infill program is targeting a conversion of inferred resources to indicated category at the Abujar-Gludehi (AG) South and APG deposits.
AG currently hosts mining inventory of 22.9 million tonnes at 1.5g/t gold for 1.12 million ounces, while inferred resources at APG are 8.1Mt at 0.8g/t gold for 0.2Moz.
The company expects the new figures will underpin a material upgrade to Abujar’s total ore reserves which currently sit at 15.7Mt at 1.7g/t gold for 0.86Moz (maiden open pit).
Strong assay results
Tietto managing director Dr Caigen Wang said APG’s strong assay results hold promise for the Abujar project.
“The results so far demonstrate the potential of APG to deliver shallow low strip open-pitable feedstock for an established mill and mining operation at AG,” he said.
“We plan to drill additional holes along strike as well as further step-back drilling to test the limits of this large gold system.”
At completion of the infill program, Tietto’s fleet of six diamond rigs will test a multitude of exploration targets around the proposed mill at Abujar to drive future resource growth.
West Africa’s next gold mine
The Abujar project remains on track to become West Africa’s next gold mine.
With $52 million cash at hand, Dr Wang said the company is well-funded to carry out its June quarter commitments which include front end engineering and design (FEED) and the starts of site and camp construction.
Tietto’s rigs are completing approximately 11,000m a month to drive rapid resource growth at low discovery cost per ounce in 2021.