Aim-listed Panthera Resources has received and assessed assay results from the 2 430 m air-core (AC) drilling programme completed in December 2021 at the Kalaka project in Mali, aimed at defining reverse circulation (RC) drill targets.

Five of the twenty targets identified have been drill tested along with partial testing of a further two.

Anomalous gold has been intersected at all targets tested.

The drilling has been successful in outlining several targets for additional follow-up.

The best drill results are located immediately north of the K1A mineralisation (Target 7) and to the south of, and possibly offset from, the K1A mineralisation (Target 3).  This could indicate a significant extension of the known low-grade gold mineralisation at K1A, says Panthera.

Targets 1 and 2 require some deeper drilling to explain the source of the gold being mined by artisanal miners in the area.  Anomalous gold at the end of several holes requires deeper drilling, the company adds.

Targets 4, 5 and 11 require additional AC drilling to define their extent and tenure.

“Extensive historic gold mineralisation has been identified by previous explorers at the Kalaka project, with drill intercepts of 249.3 m at 0.54 g/t gold from 52 m (to end of hole) including 8 m at 3.17 g/t gold from 107 m at the K1A prospect.

“This mineralisation has a strong induced polarisation chargeability high associated with it due to disseminated sulphides in the alteration zone,” says MD Mark Bolton.

He adds that the current AC drilling programme tested five other chargeability anomalies by shallow AC drilling, plus partial testing of an additional two, and has revealed anomalous gold geochemistry on all targets, often at the end of the drill holes.

“This relatively shallow geochemical targeting approach has worked, despite not identifying gold grades higher than those found at the K1A prospect, to date.

“Accordingly, it represents an exploration approach that may be expanded in order to classify and rank deeper, RC drill targets for future programmes,” says Bolton.