Exploration boosts Ariana’s confidence in Salinbas project

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Turkey-focused explorer Ariana Resources is encouraged by the results of its latest exploration across the so-called 'hot gold' corridor in Turkey, where its one-million-ounce Salinbas project is located.

The Salinbas gold project comprises the Salinbas gold/silver deposit and the Ardala copper/gold/molybdenum porphyry, among other prospects. The focus of Tuesday’s exploration announcement is the Ardala area.

Ariana said that a significantly anomalous zone of 1.4 km long and 200 m wide of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc geochemistry had been identified at Ardala North and that there was potential for sizable, multi-element mineral systems to occur in the vicinity of the Ardala porphyry.

Previous drilling of the Ardala porphyry demonstrated significant enrichment in gold and base metals, which is highlighted by an intercept from surface of 135 m at 2.28 g/t gold, 0.29% copper and 113 g/t molybdenum.

Ariana said the mapping and sampling of old workings near the Ardala porphyry had returned encouraging results, including significant gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

Coupled with previous drilling at Ardala South, the mapping confirmed the extent of a rhenium and molybdenum enriched porphyry located along the south of the Ardala porphyry.

"Based on our improved understanding, the Ardala multiphase porphyry system is clearly the locus of various styles of mineralisation throughout the northern part of the hot gold corridor.  This is demonstrated, in particular, by the Salinbas gold/silver deposit, which indicates that the range of mineralisation propagating from the Ardala porphyry source exceeded 1.5 km. This suggests that several other geologically favourable sites in the periphery of the porphyry must be considered highly prospective targets.

“This scale and complexity of the mineral system, comprising a large nested porphyry complex significantly enriched in gold, silver, copper and molybdenum, with the associated gold/silver deposit at Salinbas, underscores our view that this region has the potential to host multimillion-ounce gold deposits and significant base-metal systems," said MD Kerim Sener.