TSX-V-listed Giyani Metals has received the first set of assay results from the reverse circulation (RC) infill drilling programme, at its K.Hill manganese project, in Botswana.
The company has also announced a new planned exploration programme and the appointment of an additional drilling contractor.
The K.Hill infill drilling programme is designed to upgrade the current inferred mineral resource to an indicated mineral resource in order to achieve the mineral reserve status required in the ongoing feasibility study, which is expected later this year.
Since the programme started in November 2020, there have been some border logistics and administrative delays related to Covid-19 in Botswana. The programme has, nonetheless, advanced and is now expected to be completed next month, the company says.
Upon completion of the K.Hill infill drilling programme, Giyani will step-out to the south of the K.Hill deposit, with a new exploration drilling programme, which will target a geophysical signature, which extends southwards from the existing K.Hill mineral resource.
This signature is a continuation of the gravity contrasts observed at K.Hill.
The planned step-out exploration programme consists of 1 600 m of RC drilling over 32 holes. It is expected to be completed within two months of the conclusion of the K.Hill infill drilling programme, subject to no additional Covid-19 restrictions.
Additionally, the company has appointed local Botswana-based drilling services provider RotsDrill Explorations to assist Stewardship Drilling with the completion of the K.Hill infill drilling programme, as well as the step-out exploration programme.
In addition, RotsDrill will be responsible for the drilling of diamond drilling holes, which will be logged and sampled for geotechnical work and communition testing as part of the ongoing feasibility study at K.Hill.
The drilling contractor will be supported by the company’s project management and geological services consulting company, Lambda Tau Botswana.
Giyani CEO Robin Birchall says the first batch of near-surface results continue to build momentum at K.Hill as the company works towards completion of the ongoing feasibility study and the future transition to project construction.
“Not only are these results in line with previous drilling results, but we can now look to extend the near-surface mineralization through a new Step-out Exploration Program, which is the first in a number of resource expansion programmes we have planned for 2021.”
The start of the Otse campaign is expected in due course.