AMN - MALI: Compass identifies new gold workings

Compass Gold Corp has identified new artisanal gold workings on the newly created Yanfolila South block on its Sikasso property in southern Mali. Of the 14 workings, four are coincident with targets previously identified from shallow soil geochemistry and remote sensing studies.

The company has dispatched field teams to the site to systematically collect material from the workings to help define an expedited bedrock drilling program.

The majority of the workings are eluvial in nature, where the gold mineralization is present in the soil or lateralized (weathered) bedrock.

Artisanal groups at five of the workings are recovering gold from the bedrock and eluvium, and one area is an alluvial (river) operation, where gold is recovered from the local stream.

The workings range in age from the early 20th Century to 2018, with many workings being reactivated within the last decade.

Also, an initial orientation induced polarisation (IP) geophysics survey has been completed at the Farabakoura artisanal workings on the Ouassada exploration permit at Sikasso. The company is awaiting a review of the results by its consultant geophysicist.

Compass CEO Larry Phillips said: "We are continuing to find new evidence of the prospectivity of our large and relatively underexplored Sikasso permit area. Most recently, our prospecting team has identified 14 artisanal gold workings at our Yanfolila South block, including some in which, using heavy excavation equipment, artisanal miners have reportedly recovered up to 20kg of gold in recent months.

"We are now conducting a geochemical sampling program at the most prospective of these sites with the intention of identifying our newest drilling targets to locate the bedrock source of gold mineralization during the next phase of our robust exploration program."

Although the initial reconnaissance grab samples collected are encouraging, the company has immediately started a new sampling program on nine areas within the Yanfolila South block to determine the extent and gold grade of mineralisation. This will take the form of methodical grid sampling.

It is estimated that this work program, which will take three to four weeks to complete, will include the collection of about 1,350 samples for analysis. The results of this geochemical survey will be used to initially identify bedrock drilling targets, which will subsequently be tested through aircore or reverse circulation drilling.

The company's technical director Dr Sandy Archibald added: "The discovery of new artisanal workings on the Yanfolila South block is welcome, as it vindicates our initial view on the mineral potential of this block.

"However, our immediate focus remains on our northern permits where we have identified wide zones of bedrock gold mineralization through drilling at Farabakoura.

"An extensive IP survey is about to begin, which we hope will identify additional drilling targets."

www.compassgoldcorp.com