Mineral exploration and development company Kodal Minerals has received assay results for the first two diamond drill holes completed during the wet season at the Sogola-Baoule and Boumou prospects on the company’s 450 km2 Bougouni lithium project, in southern Mali.
The diamond core intersections confirm the geological model and continue to extend mineralisation.
Intersections include 30 m at 1.51% lithium oxide (Li2O) from 56.08 m and 5.50 m at 1.59% Li2O from 96.48 m in drill hole MDDH002; 16 m at 1.85% Li2O from 94.35 m in drill hole MDDH001.
All depths are downhole depth and true vertical depth will be shallower or closer to surface.
High-grade assays of up to 3.6% Li2O were returned at Sogola-Baoule and multiple parallel veins were intersected at shallow depths.
Diamond core drilling at Boumou intersected multiple pegmatite veins confirming and extending the geological model of mineralisation.
The Bougouni project development and review activities continue with environmental assessment evaluations continuing and site visits by independent mineral resource geologists completed.
“We continue to make solid progress with both drilling and development activities at Bougouni and have successfully added definition to the geological interpretation and extended the areas of known mineralisation at our key prospects at Sogola-Baoule and Boumou despite a very extensive wet season in West Africa,” Kodal Minerals CEO Bernard Aylward said in a statement on Tuesday.
The company intends to start diamond core drilling this week, followed by reverse circulation drilling next week and aims to maintain two rigs through to the Christmas break, he added.
“We are expecting to be able to continue to expand our current resource base as we look to move rapidly to development.”
Running in parallel to the company’s drilling programme, it has been completing its wet season environmental review including river ecology, local flora and fauna studies, as well as water sampling and dust monitoring.
This will be complemented by the dry season studies and used to finalise the company’s environmental and social impact assessment submission to the Mali government.