Africa-focussed minerals exploration company IronRidge Resources’ field programmes within its Côte d'Ivoire exploration portfolio are continuing to gather momentum, IronRidge CEO Vincent Mascolo says.
Detailed face mapping and sampling have been completed within 145 primary hard-rock artisanal mining pits over a 16 km strike for a total of 324 rock-chip samples inclusive of 144 m of channel sampling submitted for assay at the Zaranou gold licence.
Mascolo noted in a release to shareholders on Monday that this would provide valuable insights into gold mineralised structures where intensely steep dipping, sheared and brecciated quartz vein zones had been mapped at the project.
The company completed 3 903 m of aircore (AC) drilling for a total of 115 holes over the highest-priority coincident soil, trenching and auger anomalies defined at the Bianouan and Bodite gold licences.
Mascolo noted that assays were pending.
Multiple gold intersections including 2 m at 4.04 g/t returned in trenching were completed at the Kineta gold licence.
A soil sampling programme for a total of 5 129 samples was completed over the Marahui gold licence, with 30 parts per billion (ppb) to 2 500 ppb soil anomalies defined over a 2 km strike and a 100 m width.
Magnetics data has confirmed strike extension over 40 km of a major shear zone which also hosts the world-class 1.73-million-ounce Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant Abujar project to the south of the company’s Vavoua portfolio.
Aim-listed IronRidge has strengthened its in-country geological team and has secured new office facilities.
“The addition of national geologists has bolstered our in-house exploration team and we have secured new office facilities in Abidjan to support our level of in-country activity,” indicated Mascolo.
Moreover, it has streamlined its operations with continuity and structure for future growth.
NEXT STEPS
The company is planning infill AC drilling fences at Kineta to further test the mineralised trends and better test for high-grade gold shoots at depth.
At Marahui, the company will plan trenching or AC drilling to test the highest-priority soil anomalies.
At Zaranou, the company is planning infill AC drill hole fences to test for mineralisation width and continuity within high-priority zones highlighted in channel and rock-chip sampling assay results.
Concurrently, it is planning a drone survey for accurate topography in addition to detailed air photography.
At Bianouan and Bodite, the company is awaiting the results of the AC programme before planning the next steps.