Strong Drilling Results From Mali Gold Project
Firefinch Limited (ASX: FFX) has obtained further positive drilling results received from the Viper Deposit part of the Firefinch’s 80% owned Morila Gold Project in Mali.
A total of 53 holes for 7,011m have been completed at Viper since the first phase of drilling in February 2021.
Managing Director, Dr Michael Anderson, said the ongoing programme aims to infill existing drilling at depth to 20 metres spaced sections along the main part of the Viper deposit.
In the south, the company is testing the strike and down dip extent of the deposit.
“These are outstanding results. The scale of the mineralised system at Viper continues to grow with each drillhole,” Dr Anderson said.
The delineation of surface mineralisation in the southern part of the deposit will provide another source of early oxide feed as we ramp up the Morila plant.
“The high-grade zones under the pit also suggest that Viper can potentially make a more significant contribution to our near-term mining schedule. During my recent visit to site, we discussed and agreed plans to expedite the commencement of mining at Viper.”
Better drilling results include:
- 6m at 11.34g/t gold from 74m including 2m at 29.2g/t gold;
- 9m at 6.78g/t gold from 54m, including 1m at 36.9g/t gold;
- 1m at 36.5g/t gold from 51m;
- 6m at 9.69g/t gold from 60m, including 1m at 15.9g/t gold;
- 7m at 5.07g/t gold from 64m, including 1m at 19.7g/t gold;
- 10m at 3.50g/t gold from 68m, including 1m at 17.3g/t gold;
- 10m at 3.45g/t gold from 57m;
- 8m at 4.19g/t gold from 48m; and
- 6m at 4.72g/t gold from 56m.
The Viper deposit is located approximately 27 km north-west of Morila and is accessed by an established haul road. Initial drilling was completed by Randgold (2000-2009) and then by Firefinch (2013-2015) under its previous name Birimian Gold SARL.
In 2016 Randgold reacquired Viper through Société Mines de Morila SA (now owned 80% by Firefinch) and completed infill resource drilling followed by grade control drilling between 2016 and 2018. Mining at Viper was completed in 2018-2019 with 0.81 million tonnes mined at 1.19 g/t gold to produce 31,000 ounces of gold.
In February 2021, Firefinch completed a 43-hole Reverse Circulation (RC) drill programme with results confirming the continuity of mineralisation below the existing open pit. Follow up drilling has now been completed to infill the better results from the February programme, as well as test extensions to the south and at depth, where mineralisation remained open.
