JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Four licences have been granted for Aim-listed IronRidge Resources’ Marahui, Vavoua South, Vavoua North and Adzope exploration areas within the Kineta and Vavoua gold and the Adzope lithium portfolios respectively, in Côte d'Ivoire.
The granting of the Marahui licence, which is located within the Kineta portfolio of projects in the north-east of the country, enables the company to begin fieldwork along a highly prospective artisanal mining corridor traced over an 8 km strike.
The Vavoua North and South licences are located within the Vavoua portfolio of projects in the west of the country and are located directly along the strike from the 700 000 oz and growing Abujar gold project held by an unrelated company.
In addition, IronRidge also received confirmation for the grant of the Adzope lithium reconnaissance permit, which allows for regional exploration programmes to begin.
Meanwhile, staged follow-up field exploration programmes have been completed over the Kineta North licence and the Bianouan licence, with assay results expected during the second quarter of this year.
At the gold prospective Kineta North licence, a total of 3 307 soil samples on a 400 m x 50 m and infill 200 m x 50 m grid were completed over a prospective 12-km-long striking corridor.
At the gold prospective Bianouan licence, 665 m of trenching and 19 pits were completed as a follow-up of soil anomalies defined as announced on June 7, 2017.
Additionally, 2 730 regional soil samples on a broader 100 m x 800 m to 1 600 m grid were completed along interpreted strike extensions of the currently defined anomalous trends.
IronRidge CEO Vincent Mascolo said the granting of the four licences in Côte d'Ivoire will allow the company to accelerate exploration across its gold and lithium portfolios in the country.
“We are securing the necessary permits to start an airborne magnetics survey across the Vavoua gold portfolio in the west of the country."
The addition of the Marahui licence at the Kineta gold portfolio is significant as IronRidge continues to consolidate its position across this prospective gold bearing structure, he noted.