African Queen Mines finds "highly prospective" drill targets for Odundo property

African Queen Mines (CVE:AQ) reported over the weekend what it called "favourable" results from its preliminary field work and airborne geophysics at its Odundo property in southwest Kenya's Rongo Gold Fields.
The results are being used for target generation for the company's upcoming core drilling program at the site.
African Queen said that positive sampling and geochemical results, combined with positive ground and airborne geophysics studies, have pointed to a number of "highly prospective targets" that it is planning to drill test.
“The convergence of positive geochemical and geophysics data at Odundu suggests a high probability of success in our upcoming reconnaissance drill program," said CEO Irwin Olian.
"We are excited to be moving forward now.”
The Odundu property covers an area of approximately 97 square kilometres in the Kanango gold mining area of the Migori District of Nyanza Province in Southwest Kenya near Lake Victoria.
The project is situated some 380 kilometres by road from the capital city of Nairobi and 60 kilometres north of the border with Tanzania, forming part of the Lake Victoria Greenstone Belt - which hosts known gold deposits including African Barrick Gold’s Bulyanhulu and North Mara Mines, and AngloGold Ashanti’s Geita Mine
The airborne magnetic and radiometric survey at the property showed north-west, south-east trending structures and a "prominent shear zone" traversing the Odundu property. A grab sample from an artisinal pit located within the shear zone revealed a high value of 69 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold, and other grab samples yielded gold values ranging between 6.08 and 10.10 g/t gold.
Several smaller structural splays diverging from the main shear zone were also detected, the company said.
To date, only a small portion of the shear zone traversing the Odundu property has been explored, African Queen added.
To follow up on the airborne magnetic anomaly, the company initiated a program including a detailed ground magnetic survey, geological mapping covering roughly six square kilometres, and sampling and gold analysis.
The ground magnetic survey confirmed the existence of the shear zone/fault system detected by the airborne survey, the company said, with anomalous gold values from the termite mound samples located within and peripheral to the shear zone ranging between 0.50 parts per billion (ppb) and 669 ppb. gold.
In addition, African Queen said arsenic anomalies were detected approximately 200 metres and 1.3 kilometres north-west of the pit.
These initial favorable results prompted the company to undertake a 3D Resistivity and Induced Polarization (IP) survey of the Odundu area, completed by Akili Minerals Services.
The company said that a zone of high chargeability over an approximate strike of 1.5 kilometres by 100 metres wide was detected by the IP survey, within the shear zone/fault system, with the results appearing related to a rich sulfide zone associated with gold.
"Identification of this shear zone, which encompasses abandoned and active mining operations and demonstrates initial high gold values, is highly encouraging," African Queen said in a statement.
"A trenching program is now being completed with a view toward examining the possibility of further gold potential along the shear zone extensions. This trenching program was initiated recently and is progressing well."
Ultimately, the trenching data is expected to clarify the nature and surface extent of the mineralization, the structural detail, as well as to complement the planned core drilling program.
The Odundo property is held under an earn-in and joint venture agreement with Kenya-based Abba Mining Company. African Queen has the right to earn up to an 85 percent interest in the project under the deal by funding optional stages from exploration through feasibility.
The African-focused mineral explorer is designated as manager and operator of the project.