Preparations for a new drilling program at Angkor Gold’s Okalla West project are taking place this week. The program, which is expected to begin in early July, is being conducted in cooperation with Blue River Resources.
The Phase 1 program will comprise 500 metres of diamond drilling with the intention of determining the orientation, width and frequency of mineralised structures and confirming the style and intensity of country rock alteration. A Phase 2 program is planned after analysis of the Phase 1 results.
The target is 600 metres in length from north to south and about 300 metres east to west, and is open in all directions.
Okalla West is within a 27sqkm intrusive complex on the Banlung property and drilling is expected to provide a better understanding of potential mineralisation.
Pit samples collected from the surface deposit were analysed for gold plus multi-element analysis by ALS Chemex assay labs. Results show that gold mineralisation is intimately associated with bismuth and tellurium, which indicates that the veins are associated with the alkalic diorite that hosts them.
Auger sampling indicates that the mineralisation is in an altered and faulted diorite similar to Emerald Minerals’ Okvau gold deposit, about 80km to the south.
“The presence of bismuth and tellurium associated with gold is typical in structurally controlled alkalic intrusive hosted gold deposits,” said Angkor’s exploration manager Dennis Ouellette. “Bismuth is believed to play a crucial role in gold enrichment. Because there is no rock outcropping in the area, drilling is necessary to determine the relationship between the faults, veins and near surface gold mineralisation.”
Under an agreement with Angkor, Blue River has the right to participate initially in up to a 50% interest of the Banlung licence from Angkor after completion of a total investment of US$3.5 million in exploration over four years. It may then exercise its option on an additional 20% through the commission and completion of a bankable feasibility study on the property or portion thereof.
Angkor Gold