Awalé Resources Defines New Drill Targets at the Odienné Gold Project, Côte d’Ivoire.
Awalé Resources Defines New Drill Targets at the Odienné Gold Project, Côte d’Ivoire.
Vancouver, BC, July 8 2019 – Awalé Resources Limited (“Awalé” or the “Company”) (TSXV: ARIC) is pleased
to report that the Odienné 2018/2019 field season has culminated with delineation of two priority drill
targets at the Vakaba and Empire prospects. Work completed during the field season has included ground
geophysical (Induced Polarisation or IP) surveys, mapping and soil sampling, as well as deep hand auger,
and has enhanced the prospectivity of the strong gold in soil anomalies reported at both prospects (see
Company news release dated 28th June 2018).
Both prospects now represent exciting drill targets and have well understood geological and structural
frameworks with demonstrated mineralisation from soil, channel and rock chip sampling. The company
plans to drill test both these targets in Q4 2019 with a minimum of 2000m of R everse Circulation (“RC”)
or diamond ( “DD”) drilling. Further to these current high priority targets the company continues with
geological mapping and sampling on newly identified prospect areas within the 90% owned Odienné
permit.
Highlights
Empire - The Empire prospect represents a compelling drill target where geology, gold geochemistry and
geophysics form coincident anomalies . High order soil anomalism coincides with a mapped mylonite
bearing structure that has been intruded by a later diorite body . A resistive chargeable anomaly which
potentially indicates coincident silicification and sulphidation of the diorite , conforms with the soil both
the soil anomalism and the mapped structure (see attached figures 2 through 5). Rock chips from a quartz
veins on the prospect have returned up to 65 grams/tonne (“g/t”) gold* and a channel sample in altered
wall rock has returned 8m at 0.7 g/t Au including 2m at 3.17g/t and 2m at 1.57 g/t Au.
The soil sampling completed by the company forms a 2km long 50ppb anomaly which includes a 200m
long 200ppb core, artisanal mining activity commenced some months after the completion and reporting
of the of the soil program. The pit opened by these artisanal workers (figure 2) does not cover the best
soil anomalism nor the best resistive chargeable IP anomaly. This also demonstrates the potential for wide
shear zone hosted mineralisation in a classic Birimian gold setting.
Vakaba – The target mineralization at Vakaba is high grade gold hosted in quartz tourmaline veins at a
granite/intermediate volcanic contact. A series of veins have opened oblique to the NNE trending faulted
contact between the granite and volcanic rocks, the veins are dominantly oriented NE with a subordinate
NE orientation. Gold hosted in the quartz tourmaline veins have returned results of up to 111.5 g/t gold
and an average grade of 6 samples of quartz material from orpaillage pits and outcrop returned 24.6 g/t
Au*.
Deep artisanal pits and a trench have been opened by artisanal workers along a NW quartz -tourmaline
bearing structure in the central part of the prospect (figure 2), a channel sample along the wall of the
costean returned 14m of wall-rock alteration at 1.14 g/t Au, with included values of 1m at 2g/t, 4.4 g/t
and 1.9 g/t Au from 1, 2, and 5 metres respectively. The same structure is clear in the induced polarisation
surveys completed in May 2019, as well as revealing a major structural confluence at this location with
2
NW/NE chargeable resistive structures meeting at the granite/volcanic contact. This confluence is a
compelling target for the planned maiden drill program at the Vakaba prospect.
*Rock chip samples are taken to understand which structures and veins are mineralised at a prospect and contribute to underst anding the
geometry and nature of mineralisation, while they provide an insight to tenor of mineralisation, they do not represent a true indication of the
overall grade of a prospect
** This channel sample is parallel to the strike of mineralisation and is an indication of wall rock/hanging wall mineralisation, it does not represent
true width.
CEO Glen Parsons commented today:
“Awalé Resources strategy for this field season was to define and deliver multiple drill ready targets for
the 2019-2020 field season for Odienné and Bondoukou. Both have absolutely delivered on this objective.
The systematic and methodical natur e of our exploration strategy has paid off and we are please d that
both Empire and Vakaba at Odienné have presented as priority drill targets for high grade gold
mineralisation. Weather permitting, we anticipate these can be drilled over the next 3 months . In the
northeast, exploration activities at Bondoukou have for now been curtailed due to the seasonal monsoon
rains and we expect to be recommencing in September when water levels abate.
Awalé will maintain its systematic strategy to keep a project pipeline advancing in tandem with drill testing
these developing exciting anomalies. I look forward to updating the market on our activities at Odienné
and new developments at the Bondoukou project in the near future.”
View attached figures: http://www.awaleresources.com/_resources/maps/Odienne-Drill-targets-05072019.pdf
Technical Background
Empire
The Empire prospect was initially targeted by SODEMI and Randgold in the 1990’s. Awalé’s initial
reconnaissance of the area revealed an old trench and patchy outcrop with mylonitic rock in contact with
a large outcrop of tonalite trondhjemite granite (TTG) intrusiv e to the south, and intermediate volcanic
and a porphyritic granodiorite to the north. A rock chip sample of a quartz vein from the trench returned
36.7g/t Au.
Subsequently a soil program completed in 2018 defined a 2km long greater than 50ppb anomaly with a
200m long greater than 200ppb core (Figure 2). The anomaly strikes roughly east w est, parallel to the
interpreted contact with the mylonite and the TTG intrusion to the south.
The 2019 field season included mapping, infill soil sampling and deep hand auger which confirmed the
robust nature if the soil anomaly. Further to this Mapping over the prospect has revealed the mylonite is
extensive, it forms a WNW trending structure that cuts through the prospect area and is more than 500m
wide in places and bounded by granite to the south and granodiorite and volcanic rocks to the north. Soil
anomalism is mostly contained within this corridor. The presence of mylonite suggests the Empire
structure is an old deep seated fluid pathway and has a protracted history through the eo-Eburnean and
Eburnean orogeny. Gold mineralisation in in the Birimian is often preferentially located where northeast-
trending faults and shears crosscut thrust-folds, or where these northwest-trending thrust -folds join
north–northeast trending shear zones, which may be the case at the Empire prospect.
3
Artisanal miners entered the area after completion of the 2018 soil surveys and subsequently a ‘gold rush’
occurred at the prospect with up to 3000 workers (figure 3 ). The miners rapidly dug through 10 to 20
metres of saprolite material to reveal a buried diorite intrusive body. The extent of artisanal mining is
small in comparison to the soil anomalism and the pit is offset to the north of the 200ppb core anomaly
(figure 2). The Diorite ranges from fresh/unaltered with trace sulphides (Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, +/ -
Pyrrhotite) to highly strained and foliated (sheared) with >1% sulphide as sociated with silica/sericite
alteration. Figure 4 is a conceptual cross section for geology and mineralisation at Empire.
In early stages of the artisanal activity a channel sample was taken across an area where the previously
mentioned quartz vein inside an old trench returned 36.7 g/t Au. This 8 m horizontal channel retuned 8m
at 0.7 grams per tonne including 2 intervals at 3.17 and 1.57 grams per tonne, samples were collected a 2
metre composites (figure 3). These results d emonstrate the presence of disseminated mineralisation
within the variably sheared diorite host rock. This sampling was conducted perpendicular to the near
vertical dip of the (now mined) vein and associated wallrock alteration, it represents a true width of the
length sampled, the mineralisation here is considered open and the best soil anomalism continues to the
south of the artisanal activity – the channel sample was limited by the width of the pit.
Gradient Array and Pole-Dipole IP (figure 4) completed in May 2019 is consistent with the mapped surface
geology, the dipole lines show clear evidence for a buried resistive body (the diorite) that is cut by a late
chargeable structure – this forms a compelling chargeable resistive structure that is coincident with the
high order s oil ano malism. The gradient array IP also suggests presence of later north to northeast
structures cutting the dominant WNW orientation – this is also observed in the artisanal pit with north to
northeast fractures noted in the in the diorites. These observations are consistent with hypothesis of the
interaction between WNW shear/thrust systems interacting with the later N to NE trending structures
later in the eburnean orogeny. Further to this the dolerite intrusion has been controlled by the WNW
mylonite structure that cuts the prospect and is elongate in the same orientation . The Empire location
may be a small window where the diorite has ascended higher in the system and should the system deliver
economic grades, the depth potential of such a system is vast.
The model for mineralisation is shear zone hosted and has analogues such as the Junction deposit in the
St Ives goldfield in Aust ralia, where the Junction dolerite intrudes a sheared contact between the Black
Flag sediments and the Paringa Basalt.
In summary the chargeable resistive target that is coincident with the high order soil anomalism is a
compelling drill target for the company once the monsoon season abates, and the company looks forward
to drilling this target along with Vakaba.
Vakaba
Vakaba is an area of significant artisanal mining activity that consists of both primary and alluvial workings.
The primary workings are focused on several high-grade quartz veins which have formed oblique to a NNE
trending contact between granodiorite/granite intrusive rocks and intermediate (dacite/rhyodacite)
volcanic rocks. Where deep shafts are operated (workers claim depths of at least 50m in some shafts )
visible gold has been observed in quartz veins hauled from underground. This deep/hard rock activity has
been ongoing at the site for more than 25 years. Wall-rock piles around these shafts display intense biotite
and silica alteration with subordinate calc -silicate mineralogy (garnet, epidote) and sulphides (pyrite,
chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite). These rocks are also intensely folded, foliated and crenulated close to the quartz
lodes.
4
The vein system is structurally controlled and manifest as quartz tourmaline vein s/lodes that are
dominantly oriented NW with a subordinate series of NE veins. Both orientations are controlled by a NNE
structure that follows the contact between late granite/granodiorite intrusions and a dacite/rhyodacite
volcanic package. The NNE structures are evident as shear planes and foliations at the eastern granite
contact with the volcanics, mm scale quartz shear veins are evident along this orientation and are often
epidote altered. This structural framework is consistent with the fact that many gold deposits in west
Africa occur where northeast -trending faults and shears are focussed at sites of competency c ontrast.
Confluences between these 3 structures at the granite contact are considered potential bonanza lodes
and are high order targets for drill testing – figure 6.
Further to the significant gold in soil anomalism selected rock chip samples from the mining area included
grades up to 111.5g/t Au from mineralized rock piles in the main mining area and 5.36g/t Au from an
outcropping quartz tourmaline vein within an artisanal explora tion costean (figure 6), the same costean
was channel sampled and returned 14m of wall-rock alteration at 1.14 g/t Au, with included values of 1m
at 2g/t, 4.4 g/t and 1.9 g/t Au from 1, 2, and 5 metres respectively. (the channel sample follows the strike
of the vein, and does not represent a true width, however it does demonstrate significant mineralisation
within the wall-rock alteration system in the granite. This vein forms the primary target for the prospect
as it also forms a prominent chargeable-resistive anomaly in the Ip survey completed over the prospect -
these is also a prominent NE trending chargeable resistive anomaly that confluences with this vein at the
granite/volcanic contact (Figure 7).
A full list of r ock chip samples greater than 1 gram per tonne from Vakaba is given in table 1. These
selected samples are not necessarily representative of the mineralisation hosted on the prospect but do
demonstrate the gold mineralisation and prospective nature of structures identified in geological
mapping.
Additional to identification of quartz tourmaline veins exploiting NW and NE structures shown in figure 6,
these observations are replicated by the induced polarization surveys completed by the company in May
2019 (figure 7).
Table 1: Rock Chips >1 g/t Au – Vakaba Prospect
LOCATION UTM_EAST UTM_NORTH ELEVATION g/t Au
Vakaba 648105 1040047 529 1.08
Vakaba 647659 1037505 521 2.45
Vakaba 647624 1037573 519 2.57
Vakaba 648091 1041141 520 3.29
Vakaba 648967 1039699 495 3.91
Vakaba 648089 1041140 523 4.97
Vakaba 648012 1041196 517 5.36
Vakaba 648190 1040989 528 6.94
Vakaba 648506 1040665 521 7.92
Vakaba 648403 1041253 491 8.77
Vakaba 648183 1040973 527 9.73
Vakaba 648987 1039711 493 24.8
Vakaba 648112 1040938 501 111.8
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Quality Control and Assurance
Analytical work for geochemical samples and rock chip samples is being carried out at the independent
Intertek Laboratories Ghana Ltd. an ISO 17025 Certified Laboratory. Samples are stored at the company’s
field camps and put into sealed bags, they are transported to the companies Bondoukou office where they
are stored securely until collected by Intertek for transportation to Ghana . Samples are logged in the
tracking system, weighed, dried and finely crushed to better than 70%, passing a 2 mm screen. A spl it of
up to 1,000 g is taken and pulverized to better than 85%, passing a 75-micron screen, and a 50-gram split
is analyzed by fire assay or Aqua Regia with an AA S finish. Blanks, duplicates and certified reference
material (standards) are being used to monitor laboratory performance during the analysis.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
AWALE RESOURCES LIMITED.
“Glen Parsons”
Glen Parsons, President and CEO
For additional information you are invited to visit the Awalé Resources Limited website at
www.awaleresources.com, or contact Karen Davies, Head of Investor Relations at Tel: 604.314.6270
Qualified Person
The technical and scientific information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved
for release by Andrew Chubb, the Company’s Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
Mr Chubb is the Company’s Chief Operating Officer and holds a Economic Geology degree, is a Member
of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), and is a Member of the Society of Economic Geologists
(SEG). Mr Chubb has 17 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining p roject
evaluation.
End
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward -looking information. Actual results and developments may
differ materially from those contemplated by such information. The statements in this news release are made as of
the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward- looking information except as required
by applicable law.
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