JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Ongoing fieldwork and the recent opening of drill access tracks and drill pads have defined “exciting” new exploration targets for the current drill programme at ASX-listed Tawana Resources’ Mofe Creek Iron Project, in Liberia.

All exploration targets followed the company’s strategy of qualifying the potential tonnages associated with the three operational “hubs” centered around the Gofolo, Zaway and Koehnko mineralisation deposits. 

The Zaway North-West target was defined by a coincident 3.5-km-long ridge with an aeromagnetic anomaly and outcropping coarse, friable itabirite mineralisation, similar to that of the Gofolo and Zaway Main deposits.

The target occurred some 750 m north of Zaway Main and was characterised by similiar itabirite outcrops along the ridge.

Drill rig access was under construction at Koehnko South, with outcrop width and strike yet to be confirmed in road cuttings and drill pad preparation. 

Meanwhile, since announcing the results of a positive scoping study earlier this month, the company had engaged drilling contractors to start drilling for the prefeasibility study.

“The strike and width of the coarse, friable itabirite outcropping observed at the Zaway North-West target, confirms the potential for the deposit to be a significant development opportunity in the future.

“The diamond coring programme will provide improved geological understanding across both the current resource footprints and new exploration targets, flexibility for future metallurgical sampling programmes, as well as reduced operational risk associated with future mine design and planning,” commented MD Len Kolff.

The 7 500 m diamond core drilling programme consisted of around 80 drill holes from 50 m up to 180 m deep and across both existing resource footprints and new exploration targets.

The drill programme was targeting an overall resource increase from the current 61.9-million-ton maiden resource estimate across the Gofolo, Zaway and Koehnko mineralisation “hubs”. 

Drilling was expected to be completed in October.