Ariana Resources PLC said drill results from the Kizilcukur project in Turkey indicate a high-grade, technically straightforward resource that should augment the existing gold operation at Kiziltepe.
Resource and extension drilling tested three zones of mineralisation at the deposit with the best results 6 metres (m) at 4.75 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 7.3m at 2.43g/t while outcropping samples contained grades as high as 15.4g/t.
Tests on the ore also produced gold recoveries of 97%, which Ariana said is much higher than Kiziltepe.
Kizilcukur is part of Zenit Madencilik, a partnership with Proccea Construction and Ozaltin and 23.5% owned by Ariana.
Kerim Sener, Ariana’s managing director, said it was a “great set of results” with detailed work now underway to bring Kizilcukur into the Kiziltepe Sector mining plan.
“At this stage, we are confident that Kizilcukur will yield a small, high-grade resource capable of being converted to a reserve, which will augment the ongoing operations at Kiziltepe.
“Metallurgically the ore performs very well with exceptionally high gold recovery, which is in part the result of nuggety free-gold.
“We expect Kizilcukur will be operated as a satellite mine to Kiziltepe within the next eighteen months.”
Source: proactive