Africo Resources Limited announced the latest assay results received recently from the resource drilling on the Kalukundi Fragment on the company's Kalukundi Project near Kolwezi in the DRC. The initial drilling assay results for the near surface intersections on the Kalukundi Fragment were reported together with the data from the Kii Fragment in the press release dated September 28th 2012.
The new assay data has come available and been assessed for the deeper core boreholes drilled on the Kalukundi Fragment. Initial near surface drilling on the hill slopes of the outcropping siliceous RSC and RSF zone demonstrated that there is a significant near surface capping of highly leached Mines Series rocks which will have to be stripped to reach the underlying well mineralized zones. Slightly deeper drilling delineated high grade copper mineralization with associated cobalt mineralization.
The latest drilling data provides detailed intersections from 6 of the deeper boreholes on sections 1, 4, 8, 9 & 10. The deepest borehole on section 8 confirms continuity of the copper and cobalt mineralization down to a vertical depth of at least 240 meters. The tables below summarise the graded average values for each of these intersections which are outlined briefly below.
The geology of this Fragment requires some explanation as the entire Mines Series succession is inverted on the Kalukundi Fragment. As with the Kii Fragment to the north all of the units dip to the NNW steeply at about 75 degrees. The Kalukundi Fragment steepens to vertical and then at a depth of about 300m the mineralized zone dips back to the SE. This is confirmed from a deep drill hole by Gecamines, KDI101 which intersected the Kalukundi Mines Series mineralized zone at a vertical depth of between 305 meters to 325 meters. It is interpreted that the Kalukundi Fragment is the southernmost limb of a synclinal structure in which the Kii Fragment is the northernmost limb.
On section 1, no Mines Series rocks were intersected, as these terminate against a fault only a few meters to the north. However some copper mineralization does occur within the footwall RAT Breccia and RAT Lilas formations. In BH KLKD026, an intersection of 1.70% Cu and 0.18% Co was encountered in the RAT Breccia over 33.80m This ties in with an intersection in BH K28 which returned a grade of 2.20% Cu and 0.17% Co over 1,720 meters up dip and nearer to the surface. These intersections confirm that copper mineralization continues at a distance of about 30 meters to the south of the main Mines Series mineralization zone.
On section 4, BH KLKD020 is a deep hole 370.50 meters drilled to define in-depth continuity. It intersected the full Mines Series package of units in which the mineralization extends down to a vertical depth of 200m below surface. Mineral concentrations vary considerably throughout the package with a low grade zone in the RSC unit separating the UOB from the LOB. The full Mines Series package grades at 2.47% Cu and 0.24% Co over a drilled width of 105.90 meters. As the formations locally steepen significantly the intersection is slightly oblique to the dip of the geological units and the true width is 71.30 meters. The Upper Ore Body and Lower Ore Body zones host the best mineralization with lower grade adjacent mineralization. This is a very positive hole as it confirms the in depth continuity of significant copper as sulphide mineralization over a considerable thickness.
On section 8, two deep boreholes were drilled, also to confirm the in depth continuity of the very positive mineralization intersected in the near surface zone down to a vertical depth of 85 meters. Both the intersections in BHs KLKD021 and 022 encountered well mineralized Mines Series formations, with the higher grade zones falling within the portion of the RSC, the RSF, D Strat & and RAT Grise units of the Lower Ore Body and also within the SDB & portion of the RSC of the Upper ore Body. The central part of the RSC unit carries lower grade mineralization but the intersections overall are well mineralized as can be seen from the graded average values listed in the table below. The deeper borehole, KLKD022 confirms that the mineralized Mines Series package extends down to and beyond 240m in vertical depth.
On section 9, three boreholes have been drilled to date, all of which have intersected high grade copper mineralization with mineralization in the deeper BH KLKD023 intersecting a similar zone of mineralization to that encountered in BHK29 in prior drilling. This intersection, initially in oxides, drilled through the transitional zone between oxide and sulphide mineralization over a combined mineralized drilled interval of 94.84 meters grading at 3.02% Cu and 0.46% Co overall. Within this zone are some high grade intervals as listed in the table below.
Section 10 is the north easternmost section on which mineralization was intersected. The intersection in BH K99 in 2008 was most encouraging, but in fact it marks the end of the fragment which is faulted and structurally complex in this area. The recent drilling of two boreholes, BH KLKD004 & 25, up-dip and down-dip of BH K99 respectively confirmed this, as no Mines Series rocks were encountered. The presence of extensive copper and associated cobalt mineralization on the RAT Br/CMN contact zone in BH KLKD023 substantiates the close proximity to the edge of the Fragment, but also confirms that mineralization continues into the adjacent formation as observed at the SW end of the Fragment.
