Following up on some impressive initial results, partners Anatolia Minerals Development (YMC.U-V) and Rio Tinto (RTP-N) have begun infill drilling at the Cukurdere copper-gold target in eastern Turkey.
The partners plan to sink more than 20 reverse circulation holes in a 600-by-330 metre area outlined by six earlier holes, to be followed by step-out drilling. In all, some 4,500 metres of drilling is planned.
The latest hole, no. 7, tested the continuity of mineralization in the centre of six widely spaced holes. It cut, cut 61 metres grading 2.1 grams gold and 9 grams silver per tonne plus 0.1% copper, beginning at a depth of 100 metres.
Five of the first six holes at Cukudere returned an average of about 60 meters grading 2.3 grams gold, 9 grams silver plus 0.1% copper. Hole 5, which was abandoned at a depth of 76 meters due to collapse, returned 31 metres of 1.4 grams gold from 40 metres depth. Channel sampling in the same area returned an average of 1.8 grams gold.
Reconnaissance geology and satellite imagery place Cukurdere in an altered area about 5 km in diametre that Anatolia controls.
Five holes completed at the nearby Kabatas copper-gold porphyry prospect confirmed the presence of a large, low-grade porphyry copper-gold system. Two holes cut the very low grade, high-sulphide, phyllic-zone pyritic shell. Two more cut transitional phyllic-potassic zone alteration and ran 0.1-0.3% copper with 0.1-0.3 gram gold. Another hole cut low-sulfide, high-magnetite potassic alteration containing 350 metres of 0.33% copper and 0.5 gram gold, including 91 metres of 0.45% copper and 0.76 gram gold. The holes were spaced 250 to 350 metres apart.
The system remains untested to the east, north and northwest and further geophysical surveying is planned in order to delineate extensions and similar systems.
In 2000, Rio Tinto allied with Anatolia to explore in Turkey, signing a four-year deal that gives the major a right to at least a 70% interest in projects within the junior’s 5,660-sq.-km presence in that country.
Rio Tinto, which must spend US$10.5 million on each property, has already opted to earn 70% in Cukurdere and Kabatas, and 75% in Uckapili.
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