Ariana Resources to begin diamond drilling at Kizilcukur

Gold exploration and development company Ariana Resources updated the market on resource development activities at its wholly-owned Kizilcukur Gold Project on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said Kizilcukur is located 22 kilometres to the northeast of the Kiziltepe Mine, and was being developed with a view to trucking and processing at Kiziltepe in the future.

It reported that a 1,000m diamond drilling programme was due to commence “imminently”, with drilling to be focussed on the planned Zeki Pit area, with the aim of improving the classification of JORC resources to the measured and indicated categories.

The Kizilcukur vein system demonstrated the potential to extend across an area of 2.3 kilometres by 0.3 kilometres, much of which the board said remained undrilled.

An Optimal trucking route to the Kiziltepe plant had been determined, with those transport costs to be reflected in an internal feasibility study.

“We look forward to commencing a new drilling programme at our Kizilcukur Project, with the objective of defining a high-grade zone amenable to open-pit mining,” said Ariana managing director Dr Kerim Sener.

“Previous scoping-level work on the project outlined this open-pit potential and the new drilling is designed to improve confidence in the Mineral Resource as part of our internal feasibility study.”

Dr Sener said that, following successful metallurgical testwork announced earlier in the year, the board envisaged the mining and trucking of Kizilcukur ore to the Kiziltepe plant for processing.

“We are looking to advance Kizilcukur to the point of a decision to mine during 2019, following which various options for the further development of the project will be considered.”