Harmony Gold Mining Co reports encouraging exploration results at its 100% owned, South African Kalgold open pit operation in the North West Province, approximately 55 km southwest of Mahikeng. “Our exploration strategy targets highly prospective, underexplored terrains and mining districts to discover and develop gold deposits. The results from the exploration drilling at Kalgold – a safe and low risk open pit mine – outline an expanded, robust mineralised system that extends beyond the current resource limits. Resource development drilling underway has outlined a mineralised zone that now comprises over 2.1 km of strike and extends to in excess of 300 m below surface. The intersections show good continuity of geology and mineralisation and presents an exciting organic growth opportunity for Harmony”, said Peter Steenkamp, CEO of Harmony.
An updated mineral resource estimate will be prepared incorporating the exploration data and will form the basis of prefeasibility studies planned for 2019. The updated mineral resources for Kalgold will be released as part of our annual reporting for FY18.
- The mineralisation outlined in the drilling is hosted in a banded iron formation (BIF) which is an extension of the same structural-geological setting of the known deposits at D Zone, A Zone, Watertank and Windmill open pits.
- New mineralised zones defined outside of the current resource limit include strike extensions north of the current Watertank open pit; significant drill intercepts in the “Pillar” zone that separates the A Zone and Watertank pits; new areas of mineralisation in the Western Limb BIF at depth and along strike to the south of A Zone; and a new zone of mineralisation developing subparallel with the Watertank lodes at Spanover Border prospect
- Drill intercepts from within the current resource limit demonstrate good grade continuity. Higher-grade zones of mineralisation with in excess of 2.0 g/t Au occur associated with shallow, north plunging, crosscutting quartz veins which are developed along the main line of lode.
Harmony commenced a brownfield drill campaign at the project in October 2017 to test the potential to merge the separate pit areas into a major mineralised system and to test the strike extensions of the mineralised zone towards the north and south of the existing open pits. In particular, to develop a resource base that would support studies towards increased mining and processing rates at the open pit operation. Some 16,400 m of diamond and RC drilling has since been completed, results of which form the basis of this news release.
The resource growth outlook is positive. The system is open-ended along strike and remains open at depth. To the north under the cover of Kalahari sand, reconnaissance drill sections highlight potential to extend the mineralisation over an additional 1km of strike. Potential for sub-parallel repeat lodes at the Spanover Border and Windmill prospect areas is evident. Drilling continues onsite with three drill rigs.
