Turaco Gold Extends High-Grade Zone 250m Deeper at Woulo Woulo
Turaco Gold’s latest deep drilling at Woulo Woulo Deposit confirms a substantial 250-metre vertical extension of higher-grade gold mineralisation, potentially expanding the 1.7Moz resource and underpinning a larger mining footprint.
- Deep drilling confirms 250m vertical extension
- Hole WOUDD0244 hits 100m at 1.06g/t gold
- Higher grades up to 6.94g/t gold within intercept
- Resource growth potential beyond recent PFS pit
- Ongoing drilling at multiple Afema deposits
Significant Depth Extension at Woulo Woulo
Turaco Gold Limited (ASX:TCG) has delivered a compelling update from its Afema Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, revealing that deep drilling at the Woulo Woulo Deposit has confirmed a 250-metre vertical extension of gold mineralisation beneath the current 1.7 million ounce resource. The standout drill hole, WOUDD0244, returned an impressive 100 metres at 1.06 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 495 metres downhole, including higher-grade intervals such as 17 metres at 2.96g/t and a narrow 4-metre section hitting 6.94g/t. This discovery pushes the envelope on the deposit’s known depth and grade profile, suggesting a more robust resource base than previously modelled.
Geological Model Validated with Higher Grades at Depth
The drilling targeted a geological flexure interpreted to control plunging, shoot-style higher-grade zones within the rhyolite host rock. Turaco’s geological modelling indicates that mineralisation intensifies with depth, driven by increased fracturing along the western margin of the deposit. Hole WOUDD0244, drilled to test this hypothesis, confirmed continuity of broad mineralised zones with elevated gold grades well below the pit shell used in the recent Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS). This suggests potential to expand both the open pit and underground mining inventory.
Encouraging Results from Supporting Drill Holes
Two additional deep holes, WOUDD0242 and WOUDD0243, although slightly off-target due to less deviation than expected, still intercepted mineralisation outside the flexure zone, returning 34 metres at 1.29g/t and 33 metres at 0.87g/t respectively. These results provide further evidence of mineral continuity at depth and support the rationale for ongoing drilling to better delineate the high-grade shoot and refine the deposit’s geometry.
Broader Drilling Campaign Across Afema Project
Beyond Woulo Woulo, Turaco has rigs active at the Adiopan, Anuiri, and Begnopan deposits, aiming to extend mineralisation and bolster the overall 4.65 million ounce Afema resource. The company’s Managing Director, Justin Tremain, emphasised that these drilling efforts align with a strategy to increase scale and mine life potential, complementing the strong economics outlined in the recent PFS. Metallurgical testwork continues to show excellent gold recoveries, adding confidence to the project’s development prospects.
Technical and Operational Details
The drilling used modular diamond core rigs with high sample quality and photon assay techniques, providing reliable assay data. The Woulo Woulo deposit remains open at depth, and further deep drilling of approximately 2,300 metres is underway to confirm the extent of the higher-grade zones and assess underground mining potential. The deposit’s current resource stands at 53.5 million tonnes at 1.0g/t gold for 1.7 million ounces, with the new results poised to lift this figure.
Bottom Line?
Turaco’s deep drilling breakthrough at Woulo Woulo lays the groundwork for meaningful resource growth and a potentially larger mining operation, but upcoming drill results will be crucial to confirm continuity and scale.
Questions in the middle?
- Will ongoing drilling confirm the continuity of the high-grade shoot at depth?
- How might the extended mineralisation impact the mine plan and capital requirements?
- What are the implications for the Afema Project’s overall mine life and production profile?
