The first 15 holes of the program targeted gold mineralization discovered in four (4) trenches, TKB005, TKB004, TKB006, and TKB009 – 010, spread out over an approximately 975 meter E – W distance on the Zone 2 gold-in-soil anomaly. Thirteen (13) out of the 15 holes on Zone 2 yielded significant gold intercepts, including 10 holes intersecting significant granitoid – hosted gold mineralization over 7 meter to 45 meter core lengths (Table 1).
Mineralized material consists of altered quartz diorite and tonalite exhibiting quartz – iron carbonate veining, and disseminated sulphides. Mineralization discovered to date by trenching and/or drilling on Zone 2 and Zone 3 appears to be hosted by swarms of granitoid bodies, ranging from 5.5 meters to 79 meters in core length, interpreted to be emplaced along splay structures off an inferred NE – trending regional structure.
Limited drilling to date traced the granitoid – hosted gold mineralization over a 200 meter strike length and to a vertical depth of 100 meters at the Trench TKB004 Zone, including gold intercepts of: 2.11 g/t gold over 25.4 meters; 0.87 g/t gold over 15 meters and 1.28 g/t gold over 33 meters; 2.24 g/t gold over 16 meters; and 2.78 g/t gold over 15 meters in holes KBD08012, 013, 014, and 015, respectively. Similarly mineralization at the Trench TKB005 Zone was traced over an approximately 135 meter strike length and to a vertical depth of 76 meters in holes KBD08003 & 004 and KBD08010 & 011. Including significant intercepts of 8.49 g/t gold over 12 meters and 4.83 g/t gold over 7 meters in holes KBD08004 (Previously Released) and KBD08010, respectively.
Limited Zone 1 scout drilling (3 holes) intersected a typical “Ashanti” style shear zone setting developed proximal to a metavolcanic – metasediment contact with a spatially associated granitoid body. Hole KBD08017 yielded intermittent, exploration significant, anomalous gold values over a 60 meter core length. Including encouraging intercepts of 1.43 g/t gold over 13.5 meters, 1.04 g/t gold over 6 meters, and 1.02 g/t gold over 8 meters. In addition trench TKB012 excavated on a gold-in-soil anomaly located approximately 100 meters west of hole KBD08017 returned a channel sample intercept of 2.51 g/t gold over a 4 meter trench length.
A manual trenching program encompassing 14 trenches totaling approximately 1,000 linear meters (TAD008 – TAD021) was recently completed on Zone 3 of the Kibi gold-in-soil trend, located approximately 700 meters southwest of the current Zone 2 drilling area. To date saprolitic occurrences of altered granitoid exhibiting quartz – iron carbonate veining and oxidized sulphide sites have been encountered in six (6) trenches on Zone 3.
The present trenching yielded two (2) significant granitoid – hosted gold mineralization intercepts: 4.93 g/t gold over 45 meters, including 10.12 g/t gold over 12 meters; and 1.60 g/t gold over 18 meters, including 9.89 g/t gold over 2 meters, in trenches TAD019 and TAD016, respectively. In addition reconnaissance trenching of the Zone 3 gold-in-soil anomaly in 2006 yielded an intercept of 1.09 g/t gold over a 10 meter trench length in trench TAD001 – TAD004. The remaining three (3) mineralized granitoid occurrences yielded lower grade but exploration significant, anomalous gold values. Zone 3 trench intercepts, as well as significant gold intercepts from recent trenching on Zones 2 and 1, are presented in Table 2 below.
Extensive, strongly indurated, lateritic clays and gravels prevented the proper testing of some gold-in-soil anomalies due to the fact that the saprolite horizon was not reachable at many localities in the hand dug trenches. Mechanized trenching and/or RAB drilling is planned to further test the geochemical signature of the Zone 3 gold-in-soil anomaly at depth within the saprolite horizon.
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The granitoid – hosted gold mineralization identified on the Kibi Gold Trend project is considered especially interesting given the values defined at this early stage and the extent of the untested targets. It is apparent that additional trenching and a major follow-up drill program is justified on these, and other targets along the extensive Kibi gold-in-soil trend.
Table 2: Significant Trench Intersections - Kibi Gold Trend (Gold-In-Soil Zones 3, 2, & 1) |
Trench ID | From (meters) | To (meters) | 1 Trench Length (meters) | Gold Grams Per Tonne | Comment 2 | Zone # |
TAD001 -004 3 | N/A | N/A | 10.00 | 1.09 | GRD | Zone 3 |
including | | | 1.00 | 4.95 | | |
TAD016 | 23.00 | 41.00 | 18.00 | 1.60 | GRD | Zone 3 |
including | 33.00 | 35.00 | 2.00 | 9.89 | | |
TAD019 | 16.00 | 61.00 | 45.00 | 4.93 | GRD | Zone 3 |
including | 16.00 | 46.00 | 30.00 | 6.23 | | |
including | 34.00 | 46.00 | 12.00 | 10.12 | | |
including | 42.00 | 44.00 | 2.00 | 17.00 | | |
TKB010 | 0.00 | 42.00 | 42.00 | 1.29 | GRD | Zone 2 |
including | 15.00 | 28.00 | 13.00 | 2.26 | | |
TKB011 | 12.00 | 27.00 | 15.00 | 1.26 | GRD | Zone 2 |
including | 19.00 | 25.00 | 6.00 | 2.41 | | |
TKB012 | 1.00 | 5.00 | 4.00 | 2.51 | | Zone 1 |
1 Reported intercepts are trench – lengths; true width of mineralization is unknown at this time |
2 GRD - Granitoid hosted / associated mineralization | | |
3 2006 Trenching | | | | | |
Quality Control
Reported intersections represent core – lengths; true width of mineralization is unknown at this time. Individual sample results were length weighted to yield average composite interval grades as reported. Intersections are constrained with a 0.25 g/t gold minimum cut-off grade at the top and bottom of the intercept, with no upper cut-off grade applied, and a maximum of five (5) consecutive meters of internal dilution (less than 0.25 g/t gold). All internal intervals yielding above 10 g/t gold are indicated within the intersection. Intersections of less than 5 g/t gold x meter – grade thickness are not reported.
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The Company has implemented a quality – control program to ensure best practice in the sampling and analysis of the drill core and trench channel samples. Drill core is HQ diameter in upper oxidized material (regolith) and NQ diameter in the lower fresh rock portion of the hole. Drill core is saw cut and half the core is sampled in standard intervals. The remaining half of core is stored in a secure location. Trench samples consists of continuous, horizontal channels collected from a canal excavated along the bottom sidewall of the trench (~ 0.10 meter above floor). All samples are transported in security – sealed bags to the ALS Chemex Laboratory in Kumasi, Ghana. Samples are analyzed by industry standard 50 gram fire assay fusion with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish; with gravimetric finish on samples exceeding 10 g/t gold. The Company inserts a certified reference standard, analytical blank, and field duplicate sample in every batch of 20 drill core samples and every batch of 40 trench channel samples. Validation parameters are established in the database to ensure quality control.
Xtra-Gold’s Vice President, Exploration, Yves Clement, P.Geo, is the Qualified Person for the Kibi Gold Trend project, as defined in National Instrument 43-101 developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators, and has prepared or supervised the presentation of the technical data mentioned in this news release. Mr. Clement is a member in good standing of the Association of Professional Geoscientist of Ontario (APGO).
About Xtra-Gold
Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. is a gold exploration company with a dominant land position in the highly prospective and under explored Kibi – Winneba greenstone belt (“Kibi Gold Belt”) located in Ghana, West Africa. The Kibi Gold Belt exhibits many similar features to Ghana’s main gold belt, the Ashanti Belt. Approximately 116 million ounces of gold have been discovered to date in this neighboring, geologically analogous Birimian greenstone belt (based on publicly available information).
For further information, please visit our website at www.xtragold.com. If you have any questions, please contact James Longshore, President, at 416-579-2274.
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