Galley Gold goes hunting

PERTH-BASED junior explorer Galley Gold Limited will spend $2 million hunting gold elephants in Botswana, home of the natural pachyderm.

After achieving high-grade gold hits with its recent 55 hole RC drilling on the Mupane prospect, near the border with Zimbabwe in north-eastern Botswana, the company will launch a further step-out drilling programme in September to increase the potential of the project.

Galley Gold managing director Keith McKay told Business News that, while the prospect has the potential for a small open cut mine, the aim is to “prove up a major operation” in an area known as the Tati gold concession in past years.

He said drilling during the past four months confirmed that gold mineralisation forms a robust shoot with open pit potential.

Gold mineralisation appears scattered over a series of prospects extending over a strike of 1,300 metres.

In the last RC and diamond drilling programme, on Area One of the prospect, gold mineralisation was confirmed to extend strongly to depth.

Good results included 23.8 metres grading at 3.2 grams/tonne gold, 67m at 4.4g/t, including 10m at 12.1g/t and 55m at 4.3g/t, including 9m at 12.8g/t gold.

While the company is currently hoping to achieve a stand-alone operation, Mr McKay has not ruled out a joint venture partner should the need arise.

Meanwhile, Galley has confirmed, over the recently acquired former Falconbridge Tekwane property, a nickel anomaly with similar signatures to the anomalies associated with the nearby Selkirk nickel mine and Tekwane nickel prospect.

These two mines are operated in joint venture by LionOre Mining of Canada, Anglo American and the Botswana government.