MINING IN AFRICA SPECIAL — Trillion working in five

A junior company with a broad spectrum of commodity interests, Trillion Resources (TSE) is currently producing gold in Zimbabwe and exploring for base and precious metals, as well as diamonds, in other African nations.

In total, Trillion has 14 projects under way, encompassing 9 million acres in five different countries.

The Zimbabwean production stems from a half interest in the 15-sq.-mile Jena Mines property, where, on a daily basis, four separate operations are mining a total of 550 tons averaging 0.157 oz. gold per ton from underground, as well as 200 tons of sand averaging 0.05 oz.

These four active mines, together with 12 past producers, are hosted within two mineralized trends. Gold is found in shear-zone-hosted quartz veins associated with steeply dipping, andesitic volcanics and intruded by gabbroic and feldspar porphyry dykes.

“Two drills have been turning on the property, 24 hours a day, for the past four months in an effort to define its full potential,” says Trillion Vice-president Michael Halverson.

He hopes that, following the completion of a 30,000-ft. drill program, annual gold production will increase to 25,000 from the current 12,000 oz. Reserves stand at 1.6 million tons averaging 0.157 oz.

Farther north and west in Ivory Coast, Trillion and two other parties — Falconbridge (TSE) and the Ivory Coast’s government mining agency SODEMI — are awaiting assay results from a drill program completed by Falconbridge on the Biankouma nickel concession. The 790,000-acre property hosts seven known lateritic nickel deposits, the largest being the Sipilou, which hosts an estimated 59 million tons averaging 2% nickel. In total, the seven lateritic nickel deposits contain more than 110 million tons of ore averaging about 2% nickel.

Halverson says expectations for the property are high and assay results from Falco’s 100-hole program, which extended to a depth of 210 ft. below surface, are expected within weeks. If all goes well, a bulk sample will be taken and Falco will fund a bankable feasibility study. Upon completion of the study, the senior would have a 60% interest in the Biankouma concession, with SODEMI holding 25% and Trillion, the remaining 15%.

In southwestern Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana, Trillion has granted Skeena Resources (VSE) an option to earn a half interest in 1.3 million acres. Trillion has also granted Nickelodeon Minerals (VSE) an option to earn a half interest in 1.4 million acres contiguous with, and east of, the first block. Skeena and Nickelodeon can each earn a half interest in the separate ventures by completing $200,000 worth of exploration (with each delivering 100,000 shares to Trillion) and by reimbursing Trillion’s expenses. A total of 800 sites have been selected for heavy mineral sampling and, according to Halverson, “there is an excellent chance of defining kimberlite targets for drilling by the end of the first quarter.”

Farther southwest in Botswana, Trillion has acquired 13 prospecting licences totalling 2.8 million acres which encompass the Kalahari gold project. The overlying desert has prevented the underlying geology from being fully understood, yet the potential for Witwatersrand-type conglomerate gold deposits is thought to be good. In addition to gold, the Kalahari project could host platinum, base metals, diamonds and uranium mineralization. The ground ties onto land held by Anglo American, and half of the Kalahari project will be renewable after 1997.

Farther east in Tanzania, Trillion’s wholly owned subsidiary has been granted a reconnaissance licence to explore the Sekenke Iramba greenstone belt near Lake Victoria. The 300,000-acre property encompasses numerous gold producers, including the Sekenke and Kirondatal, which typically are shear-zone-hosted deposits within volcanic and sedimentary rocks. A field program will begin this month, with drilling to start in the spring.

Elsewhere in Africa, Trillion has bought into Oliver Gold (VSE), which is earning a half interest in the Sengala gold project in Mali and holds interests in two Zimbabwean gold mines.

Trillion has several other gold and diamond properties in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in addition to holding a 70% interest in a drilling company which owns three Longyear 38 drills.