Aviva Corporation delivers initial resource at West Kenya project at 4% copper equivalent

Aviva Corporation (ASX: AVA, BSE: AVIVA) has achieved a maiden Inferred JORC Resource of 1.68 million tonnes (Mt) grading 4% copper (Cu) equivalent – 1.8% Cu, 0.7 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 36.8g/t silver (Ag) and 5.4% zinc (Zn) at its Bumbo Deposit in West Kenya.

The initial resource exceeds the company's expectations in terms of tonnes and grade, and has been delineated within eight months of the commencement of drilling at Bumbo, which is part of the West Kenya Project.

The Resource was compiled by independent expert Ian Glacken, who is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Modelling of peripheral gold mineralisation at the base metal deposit identified an exploration target of 450,000 to 700,000 tonnes grading between 1g/t and 1.5g/t gold. It is possible that the gold mineralisation may contain other economic metals of interest, particularly silver.

Also, encouraging results from early VTEM anomaly drilling in the Bumbo base metals precinct include – 69 metres at 0.6%Zn, 0.15% Cu and 4.2g/t Ag at VTEM 3.

The company considers this result very significant as it confirms the prospectively of the stratigraphic conductors located in the northern and eastern part of the VTEM survey.

Importantly, the Bumbo VTEM survey covered only a fraction of the project area considered to be prospective for base metals and the company is bullish about the potential for more base metal deposits.

Aviva is now planning the extension of its base metals drilling, soil sampling and geophysical surveys, with a view to expanding the base metals inventory in West Kenya.

This will be done by combining the knowledge gained from drilling Bumbo and selected VTEM anomalies with the geophysical and geochemical signatures of those targets.

Bumbo is a polymetallic deposit with Cu, Zn, Au and Ag as the primary metals. The mineralisation is characterised by a central layer of massive sulphides with adjacent more disseminated and inter-layered sulphides.

The deposit is subdivided into two main lenses, each striking approximately east-west and dipping steeply to the north.

The exploration history is reasonably extensive, with several phases of activity which have focussed largely on gold mineralisation and regional targets.

Importantly, Bumbo has 44 diamond drill (DD) holes intersecting the zone of mineralisation.

In July 2010 Aviva and AfriOre International Ltd, a Lonmin (LON: LMI) subsidiary, signed a joint venture agreement under which Aviva can earn up to 75% of the West Kenya project  through expenditure and completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS).

The project area covers a large part of the Ndori Greenstone belt in West Kenya comprising two contiguous licences covering around 2,800 square kilometres.

The Ndori Greenstone Belt is similar to other Greenstone Belts in the Tanzania Craton, and also closer to home in Western Australia.

Aviva can earn a 51% interest in the licenses by spending $US3 million over three years.

Originally published at: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/19160/aviva-corporation-delivers-initial-resource-at-west-kenya-project-at-4-copper-equivalent-19160.html