Aim-listed GoldStone Resources has achieved “encouraging results” from pit-definition drilling at its Homase mine, in Ghana, and announced the reappointment of SEMS Exploration Services to lead the next phase of its Joint Ore Reserves Committee (Jorc) mineral resource evaluation and expansion programme.

The programme forms part of GoldStone’s strategy to build on its 602 000 oz mineral resource reported in November 2012, within a 4.4-km-long well-defined structural zone.

This mineralised zone is part of a much longer “Homase Trend” structural corridor that extends over a total distance of more than 8 km.

The company has completed the northern component, and the first five southern holes of the reverse circulation (RC) pit-definition drilling programme first announced in August, targeting the proposed Pits 5 and 6 and extension to existing oxide mineralisation to support future mine planning and production.

GoldStone says the pit-definition drilling has identified “significant results”.

They show that Pits 5 and 6 may be combined with commensurate benefits in logistics and stripping ratio.

Importantly, the drilling has demonstrated gold mineralisation at depth in areas where earlier surface sampling returned relatively weak results, highlighting the potential for further exploration within the Homase Trend, the company points out.

SEMS, which prepared the 2012 mineral resource estimate, was reappointed to manage the Jorc mineral resource evaluation and expansion programme at Homase.

SEMS has proposed a detailed programme comprising 32 RC and diamond drill holes totalling about 7 770 m across four target areas along the Homase Trend.

There is an ongoing evaluation of the Homase Trend along the mineralised structural corridor, including potential extensions south towards the former Akrokeri underground mine and parallel mineralised structures.

“The progress we are making at Homase is an important step in our strategy to strengthen the existing mining operation while unlocking the wider potential of the project. The latest drilling results reinforce our confidence in the prospectivity of the Homase Trend and provide a valuable foundation for our next phase of exploration, as we seek to extend the mine life and build a stronger resource base for the future,” CEO Emma Priestley explains.

“The reappointment of SEMS represents an important step in advancing our longer-term growth strategy. With an established mineral resource of 602 000 oz, reported in 2012, a substantial geological database and a clearly defined drilling programme, we now have a structured approach to evaluating extensions to the known mineralisation, both at depth and along strike.

“Our immediate priority remains supporting the existing Homase operation while systematically progressing the exploration work required to evaluate the wider resource potential of the project. We believe this approach provides a strong foundation for the next phase of GoldStone’s development,” she avers.