AIM-listed exploration and development company Ariana Resources plc (AIM: AAU) has completed a promising resource sampling programme for the Tavsan Gold Project in Turkey. Tavsan is part of the Red Rabbit Joint Venture with Proccea Construction Co. and is 50% owned by Ariana through its shareholding in Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S.
Highlights feom the 156 surface rock-saw channel lines were completed across Tavsan included:18.2m @ 5.03g/t Au + 2.1g/t Ag; 9.9m @ 6.08 g/t Au + 2.4g/t Ag; and 31.3m @ 1.85g/t Au + 0.9g/t Ag.
Managing Director, Dr Kerim Sener, said significant results supporting a potential conversion of the JORC Exploration Target at Tavsan South to Inferred Resources, include: 3.5m @ 9.28g/t Au + 30.5g/t Ag; 4.5m @ 4.30g/t Au + 5.3g/t Ag; and 5.0m @ 1.72g/t Au + 5.3g/t Ag.
Dr Sener said over 60 outcrop locations sampled which will be incorporated in to the next resource estimation for Tavsan, scheduled for completion during Q2 2020.
Ariana is planning follow-up infill resource drilling for the next phase of project development.
“These results reflect extremely positively on the resource-focused work we have been undertaking at Tavsan,” Dr Sener said.
“They demonstrate that the sampled areas of outcropping mineralised jasperoid are typically higher grade than the overall resource.
“Some of these results are exceptional, such as 18.2m @ 5.03 g/t Au, suggesting that there is an opportunity to identify several rich zones of structurally-controlled mineralisation within the orebody as a whole, and that these higher-grade areas are likely to be encountered from surface to a depth of 10-20m below surface.
“We will be working on a revised mineral resource estimate for Tavsan during Q2 2020 which will form part of our mine plan for the Project, once final permits are received.”
Mineralisation at Tavsan largely occurs on two dominant structural trends, with the majority of mineralisation located along the gently dipping and undulating plane of a NE-SW trending thrust-fault. The second, subsidiary trend for mineralisation is controlled dominantly by a unit of neritic limestone and a series of NW-SE linkage faults, trending at about 90 degrees to the primary fault plane.
