Asante Gold Corporation has announced results from its ongoing exploration drilling program at the South Russel and Aboduabo prospects located on their Bibiani – Chirano mines corridor on the Sefwi Greenstone Belt in Ghana.
The Sefwi Greenstone Belt is host to significant gold mining operations including the Bibiani and Chirano mines which have produced +8Moz to date. Asante controls 53km strike length of the corridor which includes the Bibiani and Chirano shear zones, where gold mineralization is typically hosted in shear faults and veins. The Company’s Bibiani and Chirano gold mines have current mineral reserves of ~ 2.8Moz and Measured and Indicated resources of over 4.5Moz. The immediate exploration focus for Asante is to aggressively explore our proven mineralized trends to discover new mineable deposits and grow our mine and near mine resources and mine life.
On the South Russel Prospect, the Company previously outlined the strike length of gold mineralization at South Russel as 200m, in its press release of August 17, 2022. New drilling results have now extended it to 500m. Drill intercepts confirm high grade mineralization from surface, consistent in width and grade to previous intercepts. The gold mineralized system remains open along strike and to depth. The South Russell prospect is located just 2 km south of the Bibiani Process Plant.
On the Aboduabo Prospect, which is located approximately 5km north of the Chirano Process Plant and 10km south of the Bibiani Process Plant. It lies within the Bibiani trend, is hosted in Birimian sedimentary rock sequences, and is different in style compared to the Chirano gold deposits which are hosted in Birimian volcanic and granitoid sequences along the sub parallel Chirano trend.
The historical exploration of the Aboduabo project comprised 54 holes that delineated a mineralized strike of 1.3km and 500m wide. Significant gold assays, at shallow depths from surface, were noted in previous drilling programs. They added that ” exploration activities at Aboduabo were initiated immediately after our recent acquisition of Chirano, with drill results acquired to date confirming that the mineralized system at Aboduabo is open for extension at depth and along strike. Drill results from the first hole of the current program have intersected 21.5m @ 2.99 g/t Au including 11.35m @ 4.73 g/t Au. The current drilling program was initiated in September 2022 and has been accelerated as Asante intends to prepare a maiden resource by Q4 2023 and, if warranted, a starter pit soon thereafter”.
Dave Anthony, President, and CEO stated that:
“We are pleased to report the assay results from our exploration drilling program at South Russel and Aboduabo where drilling to advance the two targets to resource stage is continuing.
Strike length of South Russel mineralization has been extended from 200m to 500m supporting our view that the 53km long Bibiani – Chirano gold corridor is very prospective for discovery of new resources and remains key to the organic growth of the two mines.
Asante plans to initiate a Feasibility Study after the maiden resource has been prepared, to consider development of a starter pit. We anticipate a starter pit will be initiated in Q4 2023.
Exploration activities at both mines have achieved significant success over the past 12 months. Drilling at the Walsh satellite pit at Bibiani increased reserves currently being mined from about 20,000 ounces to over 100,000 ounces. Brownfields exploration drilling completed in 2022 proximal to the existing pits at Chirano have also delivered positive results, in line with our intention to replace reserves currently being mined at Chirano. We remain on track at both mines, to complete exploration drilling to extend Life of Mine to +10 years” He revealed.
About Asante Gold Corporation
Asante is a gold exploration, development and operating company with a high-quality portfolio of projects and mines in Ghana. Asante is currently operating the Bibiani and Chirano Gold Mines with combined forecast production of approximately 400,000 ounces of gold for 2023. The Company continues with detailed technical studies at its Kubi Gold Project for early production. All mines and projects are located on the prolific Bibiani and Ashanti Gold Belts. Asante has an experienced and skilled team of mine finders, builders and operators, with extensive experience in Ghana. Asante is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Ghana Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Asante is also exploring its Keyhole, Fahiakoba and Betenase projects for new discoveries, all adjoining or along strike of major gold mines near the centre of Ghana’s Golden Triangle.
