Assay results for 46 diamond drill holes at Alhambra Resources’ Shirotnaia project have confirmed higher-grade and expanded gold mineralization.
The results show the dimensions of the area hosting the currently known zones of gold mineralization are expanded to about 1800 metres x 750 metres. These drill results will be included in an NI 43-1010 resource estimate that is being generated for release by March 2012.
Result highlights show 136 mineralized intervals with gold grades of greater than 0.2 grams/tonne gold, 65 mineralized intervals with an average gold grade of greater than 1.0 grams/tonne gold with intersections of 17.15 grams/tonne over 3 metres and 4.83 grams/tonne gold over 9 metres.
Alhambra’s chairman John J Komarnicki says, “We are very excited with the drill results as they have not only intersected many higher-grade intervals of gold mineralization, but have also expanded the known area of gold mineralization.
“Shirotnaia is one of our priority exploration targets and will continue to be so in 2012.”
Shirotnaia is within the company’s 100% owned Uzboy project in Kazakhstan, and is adjacent to the world-class multi-million ounce Aksu and Quartzite Hills gold deposits being mined by Kazakh Gold. Alhambra holds a 9800sqkm mineral licence which takes in part of the Central Asia-Chinese Altayshan gold belt that crosses northern Kazakhstan.
The diamond drilling program which consisted of 49 holes over 6833.8 metres, was designed to test the strike and dip of the higher grade zones that were interpreted in early 2011. The drill samples of the remaining 3 holes have yet to be exported for assaying.
Numerous mineralized intervals of oxide, transitional and sulphide gold mineralization were encountered by previous diamond drilling programs. The 2011 core drilling program has demonstrated the continuity of the mineralization and has better defined the shape of the mineralized zones.
Alhambra anticipates a follow-up RC and deeper core drilling program will be conducted to help further define the exact pattern and parameters of gold mineralization at Shirotnaia.