Scandinavia-based gold exploration and boutique mining company Akobo Minerals has made a new gold discovery at its Segele gold mine, in Ethiopia.

This is the third distinct style of gold mineralisation in the area.

The exploration team has continued with its core exploration work, while drilling has been focusing on sterilisation and geotech work related to the Segele mine.

The exploration has yielded new gold discoveries and a better understanding of the geological structure of the area. The more work that is undertaken, the more certain the company is of the long-term potential within its licence area, Akobo says.

The exploration team is currently working on building the understanding of the host structure by mapping and sampling in advance of drill testing the new targets. The overall picture is said to look “highly encouraging” with regard to the potential of feeding more ore through the processing plant.

On the more technical side, the new gold occurrence is located 140 m due west of the main Segele mineralisation and represents a third distinct style of gold mineralisation to be identified.

The first style is the main Segele ore comprising a high- and bonanza-grade orogenic gold deposit. The free gold is hosted by metamorphosed ultramafics overprinted by calc silicate alteration.

The second gold mineralisation discovered a few months back is found about 100 m west of Segele and is coarse grained with a very high nugget effect. It is hosted in a fault breccia with minor quartz veining and is continuous between drill holes.

The new mineralisation is comprised of coarse-grained gold hosted in an ultramafic schist on the edge of a metaperidotitic rock unit. The target units have been traced on surface for a strike length exceeding 100 m, but mineralisation has only been confirmed at one location so far.

Up until now, this style of gold mineralisation has only been observed in hand samples and Akobo says that is having found the source of the mineralisation is a great step forward.

In addition to the targeting the new mineralisation, the company will start drilling out previously identified areas closer to the Segele main ore body where artisanal miners have exposed gold mineralisation and grab samples from pits have shown very high gold content. This area is now available for further exploration.

The company expects drilling will start as soon as enough data has been gathered to accurately plan a drill programme, which is likely to be in January.