Canadian-owned Omai Gold Mines on Thursday announced that its trenching activities have identified multiple gold-bearing structures with “high-grade gold” at its Blueberry Hill and Gilt Creek targets.
These are located west of the Fennell pit at Omai Gold Project in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
At Blueberry Hill, 14 samples were collected with three of them assaying over 15 g/t Au (gold per tonne), including one grading 24.3 g/t Au). Two other locations at Blueberry Hill were also trenched.
Over in the Gilt Creek area, a total of 11 samples were taken with all assaying over 1.5 g/t Au, and half of them assaying over 6.0 g/t Au. Three of these samples assayed over 10 g/t Au with the highest sample of 21.3 g/t Au.
According to a statement from Omai, trenching and sampling at Blueberry Hill and Gilt Creek identified several gold-rich, low-angle quartz-veined structural zones within both volcanic and diorite rocks. It added that these structural zones are similar to those seen at the large past-producing Fennell Mine.
Omai noted that the Blueberry Hill and Gilt Creek targets would be tested as part of the 3000-metre drill programme that is scheduled to begin later this week.
Commenting on the findings, Omai’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elaine Ellingham said: “These impressive trenching results when paired with our geologic mapping have generated some exciting new exploration targets for the upcoming drill programme. The Blueberry Hill-Gilt Creek trend has experienced limited historical exploration and these new results further highlight the potential for new discoveries in the immediate vicinity of the past producing pits.”
“Our success drilling Wenot in 2021 to a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate gives us a solid base from which to further build our gold resources on the Omai property. We know there is ample potential to expand the Wenot resource both at depth and along strike. The current drill programme will start by testing some of the new targets like Blueberry Hill, Gilt Creek, Snake Pond, Broccoli Hill, and others that provide opportunities for new near-surface discoveries,” she added.
Blueberry Hill, Gilt Creek, and Snake Pond were identified among the priority exploration targets during the 2021 compilation programme, the company said.
Blueberry Hill corresponds to a very prominent magnetic low signature from the airborne geophysics, similar but even more pronounced than that seen over the past-producing Fennell Mine. The magnetic low over Fennell is attributed to the quartz diorite stock, or plug, which hosts the multiple low-angle gold-rich quartz vein systems.
The exploration team conducted fieldwork at Blueberry Hill in late November and identified a few outcroppings of diorite intrusive, some with quartz stockworks near the base of the hill, which was very encouraging.
A total of 10 trenches have been completed to date in 2022, ranging in length from 15 to over 100 metres for a total of approximately 510 metres, with several assay results still pending.
Meanwhile, trenching was completed in the Gilt Creek area, located 200 metres northeast of Blueberry Hill. Since these are also relatively flat-lying zones, the sampling is along strike due to limitations of vertical exposure within the trenches.
Omai said it maintained an internal Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) programme to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work are conducted in accordance with best practices. It noted that certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates are entered at regular intervals, while adding that samples are sealed in plastic bags and shipped to the MSALABS Guyana Inc, a certified laboratory in Georgetown, respecting the best chain-of-custody practices.
At the laboratory, the company explained, samples are dried, crushed up to 80 per cent passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverised to 95 per cent passing 105m, including cleaner sand.
Thirty grams of pulverised material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications.
In January, Omai Gold Mines had announced the discovery of significant gold values during initial trenching and drilling on the Broccoli Hill target at its Region Seven property.
The company recently filed a technical report with SEDAR, which supports the 16.7 million tonnes of indicated gold and 19.5 million tonnes of inferred gold it had announced the Wenot deposit held last month.
In this technical report, consultant P&E Mining explained that extending the Wenot deposit is expected to cost US$2.65 million and be completed in the next 12 months.
The consultant recommended the expansion of the Wenot deposit, by using compiled historical data and identified drill targets to guide exploration efforts. It was explained that some of this work is expected to be part of the Phase 1 drilling in 2022. Oher parts are expected to extend into the Phase 2 programme.
