Having already exceeded their 2001 drilling budget at the Cukurdere gold project in Turkey,
The partners will drill-test for possible extensions in an area of high-grade mineralization intersected in the 800-by-500-metre Marble Cover zone. In all, 19 reverse-circulation (RC) and core holes are planned. Recent drilling was highlighted by a 53-metre interval running 2.7 grams gold and 17.3 grams silver per tonne.
Rio Tinto is earning a 70% interest in Cukurdere by spending US$10.5 million on exploration and paying US$1.5 million.
Meanwhile at the Karagoz gold prospect, also in Turkey, the partners have completed 10 RC scout holes, results for which are pending. Drilling was to have been limited to four holes on a 100-by-100-metre area on the geochemical anomaly, but initial results led to the sinking of six scout holes 2-5 km to the northeast.
The gold anomaly at Karagoz extends over a 3.5-by-2-km area, with most samples returning more than 0.05 gram per tonne. A 1-sq.-km area averages 0.3 gram gold, the highest value being 7.8 grams. The anomaly is open in all directions and partially overlies a magnetic anomaly 2 km in diameter.
Follow-up geochemistry, geophysics and mapping are planned.
Rio Tinto is carrying out further work at the northwestern end of a 30-by-8-km gold anomaly, and has decided to return the Uckapili project to Anatolia. The shear zone at Uckapili is up to 600 metres wide and has been traced for more than 6 km. Limited testing on a 5-sq.-km soil geochemical anomaly returned up to 15 grams gold in bedrock and float samples.
In addition to dropping Uckapili, Rio also dropped the Kabatas copper prospect. Instead, it will focus on advancing Karagoz, with $300,000 budgeted for initial work.
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