Exploration Updatefrom the TNX website.
Thu Apr 15, 2004
Exploration Update
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Exploration Update
The Company's exploration efforts in the Lake Victoria greenstone belt of Tanzania are focused on two commodities: gold and diamonds. The exploration programs completed in 2003 are a prerequisite to detailed follow-up work in 2004 which will include the drill testing of high priority targets.
The following summary describes some of the exploration activities undertaken by the Company in recent months.
During the month of March several new licenses were field-checked while others were reviewed as potential acquisitions.
In the Nyanzaga North Project Area, the following significant geochemical assays were returned: 8.85 grams per tonne in a white quartz vein from a road excavation muck pile and 0.76 gram per tonne in a white quartz vein from a laterite muck pile.
In the Biharamulo Project Area, BLEG soil and auger sampling were conducted as a follow up to good gold assays being reported from termite mound samples last year. A 1.2 kilometre by 1.6 kilometre grid was installed to cover an anomaly cluster in the southeastern part of this license and a total of 125 samples were collected over the property. Assay results are pending.
In the Kibara Project Area, a 0.7 kilometre by1.0 kilometre BLEG soil sampling grid was established on the Nyakona hill which also returned good assays from termite mound and rock chip samples (49.0 ppb and 6.67 ppm gold respectively). A total of 198 samples were collected over the property and submitted for gold analysis. Results are pending.
The Company's technical staff conducted a review of exploration work and the gold potential within the Kanagele project area. The review of the known gold occurrences and the geophysical/geological/lithostructural setting at Kanagele suggests a very prospective environment for gold mineralization that warrants further exploration. In addition, a trenching program was initiated at the Luhala prospect
Tenders were submitted to drilling companies for the upcoming RC (Reverse Circulation) drilling program at Luhala which is scheduled to begin in June. Camp construction began March 19th and the cleaning of old trenches and the excavation of new ones also got underway in preparation for the upcoming drill program which is expected to comprise some 2,000 meters.
Old trenches and drill holes were examined at Shilalo South with the expectation of recommending new drill sites for the summer program.
Trenching and mapping at Kisunge Hill (Luhala) should be completed in mid-April. Mapping and sampling are scheduled for completion shortly thereafter which will also facilitate the location of drill hole positions.
Diamond Exploration
The Company is attempting to grow its land position in areas that are prospective for kimberlites, the main host rock for diamonds. In order to test the presence of kimberlites on Tan Range's licences, a regional stream and palaeochannel sampling program was initiated in February and approximately 150 samples are scheduled to be taken.
Two types of samples are being collected: stream samples from flowing streams and samples from the coarse channel underneath clay-filled river valleys.
Fieldwork commenced on March 7th and a total of 24 samples were collected from various licenses within the Mbogwe and Ushirombo Project Areas. In total, 18 samples were collected using augers while 6 were stream samples that were collected after locating traps.
The best kimberlite anomaly identified so far is a magnetically dead zone that cuts off the stratigraphy and exhibits a circular shape. It will be auger tested this month for indicator minerals which is a prerequisite for drilling.
An auger program consisting of approximately 80 holes has been planned to test the "granite terrain" on two prospecting licenses in order to confirm earlier interpretations of the regional geology, soil profiles (including some over magnetic anomalies), and the gold potential in the underlying stratigraphy.