Ariana identifies ‘extensive’ resource targets at Tavsan

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Extensive new geochemical target areas have been identified across the Tavsan gold project, in Turkey, 50%-owner Ariana Resources reported on Tuesday.

This followed a soil geochemical survey, which was conducted to better define and characterise targets for a second phase of resource development and to improve confidence in targeting for further resource drilling.

MD Kerim Sener confirmed that six new targets had been identified and said that these targets demonstrated “substantial opportunity for further resource growth”.

Some of the targets contain significant drill intercepts including 6 m at 3.37 g/t gold and 3.67 g/t gold, as well as 9 m at 1.30 g/t gold and 4.32 g/t gold about 20 m from the surface.  

A new discovery, referred to as the South Zone, has also been made. The discovery is likely to be a repeat of the Main Zone.

“The new soil geochemical survey has identified a number of areas that require drill testing for the first time or which specifically require resource drilling.  Some of these areas are known to contain mineralised jasperoid and are dotted with old antimony workings.  We are confident that such areas will also host high-grade gold and silver mineralisation,” said Sener.

The recent work also showed that Ariana could better characterise the current resource, improving confidence in those parts of the resource that are located within the optimised pit shells of the scoping study.

“The impact of this work is significant, including a probable substantial reduction in the drilling required to convert Inferred Resources to Indicated Resources.  In turn, this will enable the company to fast-track its internal feasibility study on Tavsan during 2017 cost-efficiently,” said Sener.