Unhedged gold mining company West African Resources (WAF) has reported high-grade gold mineralisation in ongoing diamond drilling at its MV3 East prospect, located 6 km from the company’s Sanbrado gold operations, in Burkina Faso.

Some of the highlighted intercepts showing high-grade gold include 20.5 m at 2.98 g/t gold, 16 m at 2.88 g/t gold, 21 m at 2.16 g/t gold and 12 m at 2.02 g/t gold. A total of 140 holes for 13 392 m have been drilled to date.

Recent diamond drilling has focused on extending the southern high-grade shoot down plunge at the MV3 East prospect with high-grade mineralisation intercepted up to 200 m below surface. This deeper drilling campaign was temporarily on hold owing to limited access from wet weather and cropping.

Deeper drilling has confirmed the geological and mineralisation interpretation developed from earlier near-surface drilling. The company said flexures along the main shear corridor appear to control the high-grade shoots with grade and widths increasing at these zones.

Structural measurements from the recent diamond drilling indicate that there is a steep northerly plunge to the high-grade mineralisation. The strike of the southern high-grade shoot now extends more than 200 m and remains open to the south, the company revealed.

Work at MV3 East has now resumed with further drilling planned to test down plunge of the remaining high-grade shoots and surface mineralisation along strike of the MV3 East prospect. Additionally, several additional targets will be tested in the coming months. These targets all lie within 700 m of the MV3 East prospect.

“Reverse circulation and diamond core drilling at the MV3 East prospect has intercepted further zones of gold mineralisation. The strike of the southern high-grade shoot now extends over 200 m and remains open at depth and to the south. WAF is entering a significant growth phase as we aim to a be a [plus] 400 000 oz/y gold producer by 2025,” WAF executive chairperson Richard Hyde said.

He said a maiden mineral resource for MV3 East would be reported later in the first quarter, along with WAF’s yearly resource and reserve update, ten-year production outlook and 2023 production and cost guidance.