Western Mali Programme Follows Successful Survey
Altus Strategies Plc (AIM:ALS, TSXV: ALTS, OTCQX: ALTUF) has commenced a significant 17,500m Reverse Circulation (RC) and Air Core (AC) drilling programme at the company’s 100% owned Diba gold project in western Mali.
Chief Executive, Steven Poulton, said the drilling programme follows the completion of an initial 48 sq. km ground magnetic survey, which has defined a number of additional targets.
Highlights:
- 10,000m RC programme designed to:
- test the high grade zone within the Diba deposit, where previous intersections include 34 g/t Au over 60m from 17m (including 13.60 g/t Au over 9m) and 43.83 g/t Au over 5m from surface (not true width of intervals)
- expand the current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the Diba deposit
- extend strike and down dip extensions of the Diba NW discovery
- 7,500m AC programme designed to:
- test the northern strike of the Diba NW discovery (800m from Diba deposit)
- evaluate artisanal workings at the Diba Far East prospect (7km from Diba deposit)
- Additional targets defined by 48 sq. km ground magnetic survey to be drill tested.
“We are aggressively advancing exploration of the company’s 100% owned Diba gold project in western Mali, with the commencement of a major RC and AC drilling campaign,” Mr Poulton said.
“Our field team is undertaking a high -resolution ground magnetic survey, which has covered 48 sq. km of the licence to date. This survey has generated numerous structural targets across the licence, including at Diba NW, located 0.8km northwest of the Diba deposit, and at Diba Far East, located 7km east of the Diba deposit.
“The 10,000m RC programme will test the high grade zone within the Diba deposit, where previous intersections include 3.34 g/t Au over 60m from 17m (including 13.60 g/t Au over 9m) and 43.83 g/t Au over 5m from surface. The programme will also seek to expand the current MRE at the Diba deposit, as well as test the potential extension of the Diba NW prospect.
“The 7,500m AC programme will target a high priority 4km long and northerly striking zone, which may represent a potential extension of the Diba NW prospect. Diba NW was discovered by an RC programme completed by Altus earlier this year.
“Intersections from Diba NW included 1.45 g/t Au over 22m and 1.87 g/t Au over 10m (not true widths). The AC programme will also test Diba Far East, which contains numerous artisanal gold workings with shafts reportedly dug up to 20m deep, coincident with significant structural targets identified from the ongoing ground magnetic survey.
“On completion of these programmes, Altus anticipates commissioning an updated independent MRE and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Project. Diba is a significant discovery in West Africa and we look forward to updating shareholders on the progress of these programmes in due course.”
The planned drilling programmes will be undertaken by International Drilling Company and comprise approximately 350 AC drill holes for a total of approximately 7,500m and approximately 65 RC drill holes drilled to an average depth of 150m for approximately 10,000m. Drill samples will be composited over 2m and 1m for AC and RC respectively and will be assayed for gold by fire assay.
