Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc has announced initial successful results from its exploration program at the Motapa project in southern Zimbabwe. The program utilized diamond and reverse circulation drilling techniques, revealing significant gold mineralisation across multiple areas. The findings support the company’s strategic plans for future resource development adjacent to the Bilboes Gold Project.
Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc has unveiled the preliminary results from its latest exploration initiative at the Motapa project, which was acquired in November 2022 and is strategically positioned adjacent to the Bilboes Gold Project located in southern Zimbabwe. The exploration efforts employed both diamond drilling (DD) and reverse circulation drilling (RC) to assess the potential continuation of sulphide mineralisation beneath historical oxide open pits. These efforts have yielded promising results, particularly from shallower drilling in new target areas that uncovered significant finds in both oxide and deeper sulphide zones. To date, the program has achieved its initial goals, comprising 12,724 meters of trenching, 4,143 meters of diamond drilling, and 5,433 meters of reverse circulation drilling. The drill results have illustrated extensive gold mineralisation over a combined strike length exceeding 9 kilometers, with standout findings in multiple locations including the Jupiter, Pluvious, and Mpudzi areas. This encourages subsequent drilling aimed at defining a mineral resource fit for opencast mining. Specific drilling highlights include: – Hole JPRC01 – 12.00 meters at 6.36 g/t from 81 meters downhole, RC – Hole JPRC05 – 13.00 meters at 5.17 g/t from 88 meters downhole, RC – Hole PLVRC06 – 7.00 meters at 3.27 g/t from 64 meters downhole, RC – Hole MPZRC02 – 4.00 meters at 10.95 g/t from 12 meters downhole, RC – Hole JDD08 – 14.00 meters at 3.20 g/t from 63 meters downhole, DD – Hole PLVDD01 – 8.00 meters at 4.00 g/t from 74 meters downhole, DD. Mark Learmonth, Chief Executive Officer, expressed satisfaction with the results, stating that they have yielded encouraging data regarding strike width, length, and grade. He emphasized the strategic importance of Motapa in the company’s expansion plans, noting its proximity to Bilboes, where a new high-grade open-pit gold mine is set to be developed. These promising initial results solidify the position of the Motapa project in Caledonia’s growth trajectory as they aim to leverage these discoveries for future resource development.
Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc is a mining company with a focus on gold mining in Zimbabwe. The company aims to expand its operations and increase production through exploration initiatives. The Motapa project represents a strategic acquisition aimed at complementing the existing Bilboes Gold Project, which is poised to establish a significant new gold mine. Effective exploration strategies involving diamond and reverse circulation drilling are crucial for assessing the potential of these mining projects, particularly in regions with known mineralisation like southern Zimbabwe.
In conclusion, Caledonia Mining’s initial exploration results from the Motapa project exhibit significant gold mineralisation, contributing positively to the company’s growth strategy in Zimbabwe. The positive indications from drilling, including high-grade results, set the stage for further exploration and development efforts. As the company advances towards establishing a new opencast gold mine adjacent to the Bilboes project, these findings are expected to play a vital role in enhancing operational success and mineral resource definition.
Original Source: www.globalminingreview.com