AFRICA SPECIAL — Orezone and Geomaque eye gold potential of Burkina Faso

Exploration by partners Orezone Resources (ORZ-M) and Geomaque Explorations (GEO-T) is well under way at the Intidougou gold property in southwestern Burkina Faso.

Each of the companies holds a 37.5% interest in the property, which comprises 500 sq. km in the Hound Birimian greenstone belt.

Soil sampling on Intigougou has yielded gold values ranging from 5 to 5,000 parts per billion, the average being 45 ppb. At least four anomalous gold zones have been outlined, with values averaging 0.3 gram per tonne, though these have yet to be explored in detail.

Situated in the northeastern corner of the property are more than 100 test pits, measuring up to 6 metres deep, where mineralization occurs in an underlying porphyritic or granitic intrusive.

Results from test pits indicate a resource exceeding 40,000 oz. of alluvial gold in a 2-metre horizon, with a grade of 0.4 gram per cubic metre. Based on these results, Orezone is interested in the gold-bearing potential of the underlying host rock and envisages a low-cost, bulk-tonnage mining operation.

The joint venture has completed 1,900 metres of reverse-circulation drilling in 48 holes, as well as soil sampling.

Fine-grained gold has been panned out from several of the drill hole samples.

Assay results are pending for all completed holes.

Orezone and Geomaque acquired their shared interest from a businessman in Bukina Faso. In return they must spend a total of $190,00 cash over three years and spend $2 million on exploration over four years.

The companies can, at any time, acquire the remaining 25% interest from the same individual for $1.5 million.