The flagship Babban Tsauni Gold Project is located near Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. It is a quartz vein hosted Gold Silver Lead deposit in a mining licence that has an area of 49.83 km². Extensive geological data has been acquired to date and local artisanal mining is being carried out across the licence. The current evaluated mineral deposit is shallow with high potential of extending deeper down, which will be evaluated through drilling in the near future.
To date 11 lodes have been modelled, with a cumulative strike length of ~3.2 km and average width of 2m, encompassing mineralisation hosted within the high-grade veins and their associated wall rock alteration projected to a depth of 50m below surface.
Extensive historical work
Geochemical soil sampling program 200x40m grid, with infill sampling to 100x40m (1617 samples), Trenching. Mechanical excavation of 24 x 4 153m long, 2-3m deep trenches, EM/IP Surveys.
Ground EM Surveys have shown multiple additional potential lodes. Recent IP survey has identified a significant anomaly at ~150m depth.
Near-field upside
A number of additional, untested mineralisation targets have been identified by reconnaissance mapping and interpretation of available EM data. Furthermore, the 2014 exploration program effectively tested ~5km of strike potential within the prospective ~11km long, NS trending Babban Tsauni mineralisation corridor. As such there is considered good potential for additional mineralisation to be identified through further systematic exploration.
Babban Tsauni deposit has an extensive dataset from recent work program:
- Geochemical soil sampling program: 200x40m grid, with infill sampling to 100x40m (1617 samples)
- Trenching: mechanical excavation of 24 x 4 – 153m long, 2 – 3m deep trenches
- EM/IP Surveys: ground EM Surveys have shown multiple additional potential lodes. Recent IP survey has identified a significant anomaly at ~150m depth
- Some spectacular individual grades of 71.36 g/T Au, 850g/T Ag and 54.66% Pb
- Shallow <50 meter depthresulting in low operating costs.
- Environmental Permit already issued.
- Early production potential with second stage MacMahon.
High quality gold
Metallurgical test work was carried out on a ~ 150 kg bulk sample of the high grade vein material at ALS laboratories in Perth, Western Australia. Results of the test work were extremely positive, showing that a high value concentrate grading ~ 70% Pb, ~ 920 g/t Ag and ~ 58 g/t Au could be achieved through simple gravity processing methods with recoveries of 62 (Lead and Silver) – 68 % (Gold).
Additional gravity processing and subsequent cyanidation leaching of the gravity tailings showed that ~ 94 % of the gold present in the gravity tailings could be recovered by these standard processing methods, resulting in a cumulative gold recovery (gravity + gravity/cyanidation) of 98%.
Nigeria
Aurelia met the Minister of Mines and Steel in Abuja, FCT, and discussed the Babban Tsauni project as well as the huge potential for further exploration in the mineral industry in Nigeria. Aurelia believes it can grow the company through the acquisition of additional high-potential acreage,
Independent JORC ("Joint Ore Reserves Committee") Competent Persons report
A resource report is being prepared by an independent third party with results due soon.
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