Bezant Resources (BZT) has reported the results of a drill programme targeting previously untested near-surface copper-gold mineralisation on the Hope and Gorob project in Namibia.
As part of the recent drill programme, eight angled diamond drillholes were completed for a total of 395.96m of drilling over a 500m strike length of known outcrop at the Gorob project.
Today’s assay results have returned significant intercepts and have confirmed that strong copper-gold mineralisation extends to the surface from the deeper historic drill intercepts.
The assays returned 2.16% of Cu, 0.35g/t Au over 2.4 metres in hole GRD006 and 2.03% Cu, 0.18g/t Au over 5.5m in GRD003. Visible copper mineralisation, predominantly oxide, has been noted in old pits and other excavations at Gorob over a strike length of around 700m.
These holes are part of a 23-hole programme recently completed over 5 prospects - that’s Gorob, Anomaly, Vendome, Du Preez and Hope - within the Hope and Gorob Licence.
Observations around the former small-scale Gorob open pit, where mineralisation was hand cobbed and processed, also indicate a typical mineralised width of approximately 3 metres.
Bezant says this work has indicated scope for additional open pit potential at several sites across the wider licence area, in addition to the already established underground resources.
Commenting on the assay results, Colin Bird, Executive Chairman of Bezant, said: "We are very pleased with these results in that all previous narratives and testing of the deposit neglected the first 150m from surface, based on the assumption that the deposit was either absent or in oxide form, which in the 1970s was very difficult to treat. Our prognosis was that the historic assumption overlooked a potentially significant near-surface resource, and we therefore entered into the recent test programme. The results obtained to date are very pleasing and have put a completely new perspective on the Hope and Gorob complex.”
He added: “Whilst we have yet to receive assay results from Hope, visual indication suggests a similar situation exists at Hope. In addition to copper, gold assay results from our drilling suggests that an associated or possibly disassociated gold system also exists at Gorob.”
View from Vox
Today’s announcement follows recent positive drill results reported by Bezant and Caerus Mineral Resources at the Troulli development site and joint venture in Cyprus last month. In fact, assays from 8 out of the 10 drillholes at the copper-gold site returned promising results.
Bezant also recently reported notable copper equivalent intercepts at the Anglisides licence which forms part of a satellite project of the Troulli Joint Venture. The results returned last week were shown to validate the drill programme and to confirm the presence of near-surface mineralisation that could potentially be fed into any future Troulli processing plant.
Bezant said the presence of easily accessible copper mineralisation offers an opportunity to increase the global Troulli JV Mineral Resource and to extend the projected life of mine.
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