ASX-listed Resolute Mining says further exceptional drilling results from the ongoing exploration programme at the Tabakoroni project, 35 km south of the Syama gold mine, in southern Mali, have returned significant high-grade gold intersections in numerous holes.

This, in turn, identified new zones of mineralisation, the company notes.

Resolute MD and CEO John Welborn, who was delighted by the emerging growth story at Tabakoroni, says standing on site and holding new uncut diamond drill core, which displays multiple examples of visible gold, is “tremendously exciting”.

This demonstrates that the new discoveries at Tabakoroni are significant for Resolute, he adds.

“Our investment and renewed focus on exploration to drive value creation at Syama has, again, identified additional opportunity. The new Tabakoroni Nord creates confidence in extensions to the oxide resource inventory.

“The two high-grade shoots identified at the Tabakoroni main zone indicate future potential for an additional source of high-grade sulphide material,” Welborn explains.

He further notes that, while Syama is a “world class orebody with enormous untapped potential”, the results from Tabakoroni confirm that the project is a major gold deposit in its own right.

“We increasingly view Tabakoroni as a significant asset and a long-term source of additional oxide and sulphide material for our Syama processing milling complex”.

The extent and continuity of the high-grade zones at Tabakoroni, he adds, have encouraged the company to increase the drilling programme for the remainder of the calendar year.

“Exploration remains a key focus at Syama with ongoing drilling programmes focussed at the Nafolo discovery, which is adjacent to the main Syama orebody, and at the Tabakoroni project,” Welborn says.

The full resource potential of Resolute’s extensive Syama tenure remains largely untested.

Recent exploration success, however, is highly encouraging and supports the contemporaneous work that is being completed on processing improvements and the development of the main Syama underground mine, says Welborn.