Cabral Gold Inc (TSX-V:CBR) has provided assay results from 11 new trenches excavated along strike and immediately west of the previously drilled Machichie Main zone within the Cuiu Cuiu gold district.
All of the Machichie West trenches encountered gold mineralization in weathered bedrock, and cut multiple mineralized structures within a 500-metre (m) x 300m area indicating the presence of a large new mineralized area on the western side of the east-trending Machichie Main zone.
In a statement, Alan Carter, Cabral's president and CEO said: "These recent trench results are highly significant for three reasons. Firstly, they indicate that the east-trending Machichie Main zone can be traced for at least 350m west of previous drilling, significantly increasing the strike extent, and in particular extending the high-grade zone previously identified in recent trenching. The Machichie Main zone remains open to the west.
READ: Cabral Gold welcomes latest drilling at Central deposit at Cuiú Cuiú project; results suggest presence of more high-grade material than thought
"Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, these results suggest the presence of a large new mineralized body in intrusive rocks comprising a swarm or array of numerous gold-bearing quartz veins and veinlets. Trenching suggests that this new zone is northeast-trending parallel to the general trend of the veins. The array extends over an area of at least 500 x 300m, and includes the previously identified Machichie SW veins."
He added: "This mineralized area remains open in every direction. Finally, the trenching program suggests a significant amount of oxide material has likely resulted from the weathering of this new mineralized zone which should add to the overall inventory of gold-in-oxide mineralization, which already includes three gold-in-oxide blankets discovered thus far at Cuiu Cuiu."
Highlights were:
- Trench CT0049 returned 96.5m at 0.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold including 7.7m at 5.8 g/t gold, including: 0.5m at 77.3 g/t gold and 1.1m at 5.4 g/t gold, including 0.5m at 11.6 g/t gold
- Trench CT0045 returned 138m at 0.5 g/t gold including three distinct higher-grade zones: 8m at 1.5 g/t gold, 15m at 1.7 g/t gold, 2m at 8.9 g/t gold
- Other notable intercepts include 0.7m at 11.3 g/t gold in trench CT0040, 1.6m at 6.6 g/t gold in trench CT0041 and 0.5m at 10.9 g/t gold in trench CT0047
Higher-grade intervals in Trench CT0045 include:
- 2m at 8.9 g/t gold
- 0.5m at 3.9 g/t gold
- 8m at 1.5 g/t gold
- 15m at 1.7 g/t gold
Other trenches
Three other trenches were excavated along the surface projection of the interpreted western extension of the Machichie Main Zone. Trenches CT0040 and CT0041 returned 0.7m at 11.3 g/t gold and 1.6m at 6.6 g/t gold, respectively, and are located approximately 150m east of trench CT0035A. CT0042 was also excavated on the projection of the main Machichie structure immediately east of trench CT0041 and returned 4m at 1.5 g/t gold with the mineralized intercept being open across strike, and of unknown width.
Two short trenches CT0046 and CT0047 were developed to the north and each cut narrow high-grade structures. These trenches returned 1.1m at 3.5 g/t gold and 0.5m at 10.9 g/t gold respectively.
All of the other trenches excavated on the western side of Machichie are mineralized along their entire length and include:
- CT0038A 112m at 0.4 g/t gold
- CT0036 34.5m at 0.6 g/t gold
- CT0045 138m at 0.5 g/t gold
- CT0049 96.5m at 0.6 g/t gold
- CT0044 90m at 0.2g/t gold
Interpretation
The trenching program immediately west of Machichie was initially designed to test the western extension of the main east-trending Machichie Main zone and has been very successful in that regard, with trench CT0035A returning 5m at 8.3 g/t gold. That trench is located 300m along strike and due west of the most westerly drill hole. Trench CT0049 was excavated 50m further west and returned 7.7m at 5.8 g/t gold (open) including 0.5m at 77.3 g/t gold suggesting that the mineralized zone at Machichie extends at least 900m along strike.
While drilling will be required to confirm the down-dip extent of the western extension to the Machichie Main zone, previous and ongoing drilling in the central and eastern part of the Machichie Main zone, as well as geological considerations, suggest that gold mineralization should extend to depth.
A number of northeast-trending individual veins are known to exist immediately south of the Machichie structure and comprise the Machichie SW target. Whilst drilling thus far has been limited, individual veins have returned high-grade intercepts, e.g. 3.4m at 36.9 g/t gold, including 0.7m at 162.7 g/t gold in DDH182
The recent trenching program identified numerous new northeast-trending veins in weathered intrusive rock to the north of the Machichie Main zone. The density of these veins and veinlets within the weathered intrusive host rock appears to increase steadily to the west and to the north.
The extensive low-grade values that were encountered in most trenches include zones of higher grade. These are comparable with the gold values from the recently identified gold-in-oxide zones at MG, PDM and Central suggesting that the Machichie area could contain a significant amount of additional oxide material in weathered basement. Since this oxide material occurs in structures within weathered and oxidized intrusive rocks, the mineralization is expected to continue below the weathering profile into the hard underlying intrusive rocks, although drilling will be required to confirm.
The northeast-trending vein swarm has now been traced over an area that is 500m northeast to southwest, and over 300m northwest to southeast, and is open along strike to the northeast, southwest, and across strike to the northwest and at depth. It is also coincident with a magnetic low. Magnetic lows are characteristic of all of the known gold deposits at Cuiu Cuiu.
The size and intensity of the veining noted from the recent trenches at Machichie West suggests that it could be a major new mineralized body.
Results are pending on 12 diamond-drill holes at MG. Results for 21 reverse circulation (RC) holes are also pending at PDM. Results are pending on 14 follow-up diamond-drill holes at Machichie. Results are also pending on 6 diamond-drill holes at the Indio target and additional drilling is planned.
Cabral Gold is a junior resource company engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil. The company has a 100% interest in the Cuiu Cuiu gold district located in the Tapajos Region, within the state of Para in northern Brazil. The Tapajos Gold Province is the site of the largest gold rush in Brazil's history producing an estimated 30 to 50 million ounces of placer gold between 1978 and 1995. Cuiu Cuiu was the largest area of placer workings in the Tapajos and produced an estimated 2Moz of placer gold historically.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com