JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Altus Strategies has reported encouraging gold and copper results from its Daro project, in northern Ethiopia, following a recently completed reconnaissance exploration programme.
A follow-up stream sediment sampling programme across 165 km2 of the 412 km2 Daro licence area is now under way.
“A 2 kg sample of gossanous float, returning 34.3% copper and 0.54 g/t gold, from our initial reconnaissance programme at Daro is highly encouraging. As is the presence of such extensive alluvial, as well as a number of hard rock, artisanal gold mining sites,” said Altus CEO Steven Poulton.
The recent reconnaissance exploration programme at Daro has focused on identifying potential gold and copper mineralised volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits within the licence.
The discovery of high-grade copper mineralised gossans by Altus’s field team suggests that the local geology at Daro is prospective for VMS style orebodies.
“The speed of our initial discoveries at Daro is testimony to the efficiency and methodology of our exploration approach. In order to now further define the most prospective gold and copper primary targets, our field team have commenced a stream sediment survey,” he said.
The programme comprises 137 samples to be collected from the primary catchments across 165 km2 of the Daro licence.
“The objective of this programme is to establish which tributaries potentially host primary gold and/or copper mineralisation. The programme is expected to be completed by the end of February,” he concluded.