Shallow oxide gold deposits amenable to heap leaching will be the primary target of an exploration program to be carried out by Santa Fe Pacific Gold (GLD-N) in Central Asia.
The company says one of its most promising prospects is the Buchuk area, part of the Soltan Sary joint venture in Kyrgyzstan. This prospect is one target in a largely unexplored 5-mile strike length of mineralization.
The mineralization follows an east-west shear zone and is characterized by breccias and many low and high-angle veins. Santa Fe drilled 16 holes in late 1996, with the best result being 72 ft. of 0.6 oz. gold per ton. More drilling is planned for this year.
In mid-February, the company announced an agreement whereby it could boost to 100% from 50% its stake in the Sharaltyn exploration project in northeastern Kazakstan. This land package covers 7.5 million acres.
Santa Fe says its 1996 program in this region produced encouraging results, including the Jaima prospect, where a large area of structurally controlled gold mineralization was identified. At the Dymovksy prospect, a shallow dipping oxide zone was discovered with grades ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 oz.
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