Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI, OTC:PDIYF) has received strong drilling results from the Bankan Gold Project in Guinea, demonstrating potential to continue to increase the project’s existing 5.38-million-ounce mineral resource.
The results come as the company works towards the completion of a scoping study by the year’s end and aims to secure a mining permit for the project in the first half of next year.
Results have been received from 14,097 metres of drilling across 71 holes, including resource definition diamond drilling (DD) and reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the NEB, Gbenbeden and BC deposits, and exploration drilling at 800W and other targets close to the existing mineral resources.
Bankan Project deposits and targets.
NEB deposit
Predictive Discovery drilled 15 DD holes for 8,034 metres of resource definition drilling at NE. The infill results included 40 metres grading 5.64 g/t gold from 244 metres, 53 metres at 3.25 g/t from 89 metres and 54 metres at 2.94 g/t from 353 metres.
Results from NEB that are outside the mineral resource envelope, at the bottom of the resource pit shell, included 23 metres grading 2.05 g/t from 486 metres and 5.7 metres at 2.14 g/t from 493 metres.
Deep holes at NEB intersected 10 metres at 5.65 g/t gold from 750 metres and 9 metres at 2.65 g/t from 727 metres in the inferred underground mineral resource and 6 metres at 4.89 g/t from 895 metres into the footwall.
BC deposit
At BC deposit five DD holes were drilled for 935 metres. This deposit shows further growth potential with many intercepts outside the mineral resource, within or just below the resource pit shell. This included intercepts of 2 metres at 22.18 g/t from 1.5 metres and 8 metres at 4.55 g/t from 95 metres.
Infill drilling results at BC included 28 metres at 2.23 g/t from 20 metres, 15 metres at 1.60 g/t from 64 metres and 2.75 metres at 6.36 g/t from 10 metres.
Gbenbeden deposit
Four holes were also drilled at the Gbenbeden deposit, which is immediately north of NEB. These holes were drilled in the western part of the deposit and targeted down-plunge extensions of the defined mineralisation.
Results included 23 metres at 1.16 g/t from 224 metres, 14 metres at 0.72 g/t from 109 metres and 11.98 metres at 1.03 g/t from 154.9 metres.
800W target
The 800W target is also beginning to take shape, with many positive shallow intercepts defining a mineralised zone that has the opportunity to expand and extend along strike.
Multiple shallow intercepts were reported including 16 metres at 1.74 g/t from 41 metres, 11 metres at 2.42 g/t from 42 metres, and 9.5 metres at 2.73 g/t from 21 metres.
The company has planned additional drilling at 800W to test for potential strike extensions to the north and south, while other near-resource targets will be tested south of NEB and around BC.
"Excellent drilling results"
Predictive Discovery managing director Andrew Pardey said: “The Tier-1 Bankan Gold Project continues to deliver excellent drilling results at the NEB and BC deposits, which are demonstrating potential to continue to increase the mineral resource.
“We are excited to continue drilling our many near-resource targets, where we are aiming to discover new deposits that can support a future operation centred around the critical mass at NEB and BC.
“Regional exploration drilling is ongoing at Argo and we look forward to reporting additional results from this program in the near future.”
Drill plan for near-resource targets (excluding 800W).
Looking ahead
The resource definition drilling program at NEB, BC and Gbenbeden has now been completed and assay results continue to be progressively received.
Three more holes have been drilled at NEB and three are planned at BC for further geotechnical testwork to support the scoping study and future studies.
The company says that drilling in the NEB area is increasingly focused on near-resource exploration targets, where it is aiming to discover new deposits that can support a future operation centred around NEB and BC.
Additional drilling is also planned at 800W to test for potential strike extensions, following the recent exploration success there, while drilling is also underway and planned at other near-resource targets to the south of NEB and around BC.
Near-resource drilling will also provide valuable information for the scoping study and future studies regarding potential locations for project infrastructure.