Haranga Resources has kicked off a 4,000-metre Phase 3 reverse circulation drilling campaign at its Ibel South Gold Project in Senegal, aiming to extend high-grade gold mineralisation down dip and test new anomalies along a largely untested 5km corridor.
- 4,000m RC drilling underway targeting down-dip high-grade gold
- Focus on TMS Anomaly 3 depth extensions and new targets at Anomalies 1 and 2
- Only ~800m of a ~5km mineralised corridor previously tested
- Dual day-night shifts to accelerate drilling over 25 days
- Drilling complements parallel Lincoln Gold Project development
Phase 3 RC Drilling Targets High-Grade Extensions
Haranga Resources (ASX:HAR) has mobilised a reverse circulation (RC) drill rig to its Ibel South Gold Project in Senegal, launching a 4,000-metre Phase 3 drilling campaign focused on extending high-grade gold mineralisation identified in earlier aircore (AC) programs. The campaign marks a strategic shift to deeper, more targeted drilling, with depths planned between 260m and 300m, significantly beyond the ~30m average depth of prior drilling.
The program primarily targets down-dip extensions of high-grade zones at Termite Mound Sampling (TMS) Anomaly 3, where previous AC drilling returned impressive intercepts such as 20m at 6.0 g/t Au including 4m at 14.1 g/t Au, and holes ending in mineralised greywacke, indicating potential for a primary gold system at depth. Additionally, two new untested anomalies; TMS Anomalies 1 and 2; will be drilled for the first time, expanding the exploration footprint along a 5km anomalous corridor of which only ~800m strike length has been tested to date.
Operational Efficiency and Expertise
The drilling contractor, Forage Technique Eau, who successfully completed the earlier AC phases, will run dual day and night shifts to maximise productivity, aiming to complete the program within approximately 25 days. Assay results are expected to follow shortly after completion, which will be critical in assessing the potential scale and grade continuity of the deposit.
Chairman Michael Davy emphasised the campaign’s significance, highlighting the transition to RC drilling to test high-grade down-dip extensions and new targets. He noted the vast potential for expansion along the largely untested corridor and positioned this effort alongside the near-completion of drilling at the Lincoln Gold Project in California, where Haranga is advancing a maiden JORC resource estimate. This parallel development strategy underscores Haranga’s ambition to grow multiple high-grade gold projects simultaneously.
Broader Project Context and Resource Base
Ibel South sits within the Birimian greenstone belt, a prolific gold-producing region, with mineralisation hosted in structurally controlled Birimian greywacke. The project has already delivered several high-grade intercepts through earlier drilling campaigns, bolstered by termite mound geochemistry that helps define anomalous zones.
Haranga’s portfolio also includes the Saraya Uranium Project, which boasts a mineral resource of 14.5Mt at 550ppm eU3O8 for 17.6 million pounds of contained uranium oxide, acquired from uranium giant Orano. This diversification adds an additional layer of strategic value to the company’s asset base.
This drilling campaign follows the company’s recent progress at Lincoln, where a 3,270m underground diamond drilling program has revealed visual signs of mineralisation repeating at depth, with a maiden resource estimate expected imminently. The dual focus on Ibel South and Lincoln reflects a balanced approach to growth across different jurisdictions and deposit types, as detailed in Haranga’s update on the drilling near completion at Lincoln.
Bottom Line?
The outcome of this RC drilling will be pivotal in defining whether Ibel South’s high-grade gold system extends at depth and along strike, potentially reshaping Haranga’s resource profile in Senegal.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the assay results confirm continuity of high-grade mineralisation at depth beyond previous shallow drilling?
- How significant are the untested TMS Anomalies 1 and 2 in expanding the project’s mineralised footprint?
- What impact will these results have on Haranga’s valuation relative to its parallel Lincoln Gold Project progress?