UK mining firm discovers gold near Bulawayo
UNITED KINGDOM-BASED exploration and development mining company Galileo Resources, says it has discovered substantial gold deposits in the area around the Queen’s mine near Bulawayo.
In a recent statement, the mining company said several gold-in-soil samples of up to 2,1 grammes per tonne were identified in the area.
New deposits represent extensions of known gold-bearing structures that typically host both commercial and small-scale gold mining operations in the Queen’s mine region, according to Colin Bird, the chairperson and chief executive officer of Galileo.
“The recent completion of a gold-in-soil geochemical survey in the prolific Queen’s area has been highly successful in that it has clearly defined a number of targets where we have gold associated with underlying structures that extend from known mineralisation that has sustained both commercial and artisanal mining,” Bird said.
“Our intention now is to prioritise anomalies with a view to commencement of drill-testing by the end of the third quarter 2023.”
Galileo will also select several drill targets ahead of the commencement of an evaluation programme to test gold-bearing structures.
The Bulawayo gold project comprises two exploration licences covering a combined area of 1 300 square kilometres near Bulawayo.
Galileo has a current interest of 29% in the project, held through its interest in BC Ventures, along with an option to earn an additional 51% interest through spending US$1,5 million on exploration and evaluation on the projects by July 21, 2024.
The Bulawayo area is a granite-greenstone terrain in which numerous gold occurrences and small-scale gold mines are located.
The greenstones consist of andesitic to rhyolitic meta-volcanics mixed with various meta-sediments and gold mineralisation characteristically occurs in quartz vein “reefs” and quartz-rich shear zone settings.
The area is partially covered by Karoo sandstone and basalt, as well as some Kalahari sand. The extensive nature of younger cover historically discouraged exploration where outcrop was absent.
These covered areas, particularly where greenstone host rocks and coincident geological structures have been interpreted, now offer a unique opportunity for the discovery of new gold deposits.-newsday
