AFRICA SPECIAL — Trillion aims drills at Botswanan targets

A drill program is attempting to determine the similarity between the Kalahari gold property in Botswana and the Witwatersrand basin in neighboring South Africa.

The 10,434-sq.-km Kalahari project is being explored jointly by Trillion Resources (TLQ-T) and Bushman Resources (BHM-V). The latter can earn a half interest by funding the first $5 million of exploration work.

Half of the 60-hole program is completed, and, while assay results are pending, hole 42 is known to have intersected metasediments containing disseminated sulphides.

The remaining 30 holes are expected to be completed by the end of February.

Trillion says the property has potential for hosting Witwatersrand-type deposits similar to the South African reefs that currently produce 25% of the world’s gold.

As David Chaplin, Trillion’s project co-ordinator, explains, “The theory is that the Witwatersrand-type of geology repeats itself on the Botswanan side of the Sekoma fault, which follows the border of South Africa and Botswana.” A target zone in the northwestern portion of the property lies immediately south of the east-west-trending Sekoma fault, along which, it is believed, previous activity thrust older Proterozoic Witwatersrand sediments close to surface.

In support of this argument, the company points to the re-interpretation of a historic borehole, 20 km to the east. The current thinking is that the basal formation intersected by the hole may consist of Witwatersrand-aged sediments.

For the purpose of determining drill targets, an ongoing program consisting of shallow holes is exploring the lithology of the underlying sub-Kalahari Formation. Beginning in April, the new targets will be drilled.

Including Kalahari, Trillion now holds interests in 36 African projects covering 10 million acres in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal and Zaire.

Several of these projects are in advanced stages of exploration. Although the company’s main interest is gold, it is also exploring and developing diamond and nickel properties.

In addition to its exploration concessions, Trillion has a half interest in the Jena gold project and recently optioned the Indarama gold property, both of which are in Zimbabwe. The former hosts three mines and several former producers.

The company has a 1997 exploration budget of US$9 million.