Lion One Metals Limited has announced new high-grade gold results from underground drilling at its 100% owned Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji.
The company completed 2,322 metres of infill and grade control drilling, focusing on the Zone 5 area of the mine. The drilling targeted two main areas: the down-dip extension of the Zone 5 lodes below the lowest current mine levels, and the up-dip mineralisation above level 1120 in the southern section of the mine.
Lion One reported a headline intercept of 728.56 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold over 0.7 metres, located about 25 metres below current underground development. Other notable results include 279 g/t over 0.3 metres, 189.99 g/t over 0.3 metres, and 164 g/t over 0.3 metres.
“These results continue to highlight the exceptional grade and continuity of mineralisation at Tuvatu,” the company said in a release. Because the new drill intercepts are close to existing workings, Lion One expects much of this material to be incorporated into the mine plan over the next six to twelve months.
Zone 5 Drilling
The Zone 5 area hosts the mine’s main north-south and northeast-southwest lodes, which converge around 500 metres deep to form the high-grade Zone 500, considered a feeder zone. Drilling in this zone remains open at depth, with high-grade intercepts recorded below 1,000 metres.
Down-dip drilling below current mine levels focused on levels 1066 and 1084. This programme returned numerous high-grade results over narrow widths, typical of Tuvatu’s steeply dipping lodes. Some wider intervals were also observed, including 3 metres of 32.29 g/t gold.
Up-dip drilling above level 1120, near the planned shrink stope, has also returned high-grade intersections, such as 93.33 g/t over 0.7 metres and 164 g/t over 0.3 metres. Development of the 1120 shrink stope has already started, and drilling will continue to provide additional information for mining.
Looking Ahead
The new drilling results reinforce Tuvatu’s reputation as a high-grade underground gold mine. Lion One plans to integrate much of the new material into its mine plan and expects mining of these zones to begin within the next year.
Lion One Metals Limited is a Canadian gold exploration and development company focused on the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The project is recognised for its high-grade gold mineralisation and ongoing exploration potential.
