Marvel Gold Limited announced that a high-resolution Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) geophysical survey has commenced at the Kolondieba Gold Project (Kolondieba), located in south-east Mali. Kolondieba is held under a joint venture with B2Gold Corporation in which Marvel holds an 80% interest. The auger drilling identified three standout targets, each of which yielded significant gold anomalism over 1km of strike length and several hundred metres across. It is these three targets that will be the focus of the GAIP survey (Figure 1). It is anticipated that the survey will help to define the spatial distribution of chargeability and resistivity highs, which are essentially proxies for gold-bearing sulphides and silicification and/or quartz veining, respectively. Together with the auger drilling results, the findings of the GAIP survey will be used to plan deeper follow-up reverse circulation (RC) or diamond drilling (DD) as appropriate. Kolondieba straddles the Bannifin Shear-Zone (BSZ) which is a major geological structure in the south of Mali. The BSZ is interpreted to be the major controlling (first order) structure responsible for gold mineralisation at the 7.5 million ounce Morila gold mine, and Marvel's one million ounce Tabakorole gold deposit, both of which are located on splays (second order structures) linked to the BSZ. Mineralisation at Kolondieba appears to be associated with a lithological contact between felsic intrusives and metasediments, and a major adjacent structure parallel with the BSZ. Mafic and ultramafic lithologies also appear to have some control over gold mineralisation. This is a very similar geological setting to the nearby Morila deposit, where gold mineralisation is thought to be partly controlled by the emplacement of
Birimian-aged granitic intrusives into the overlying sediments. Gradient Array IP is a certain type of IP survey configuration which allows for relatively quick and cost-effective surveying of large areas. IP is an electrical geophysical method for the mapping of rock properties potentially indicative of gold mineralisation. In particular, it maps-out the resistivity-conductivity and chargeability characteristics of rock. Mineralisation is frequently found in rock formations that are both resistive and chargeable; the resistive nature caused by intense silicification during the hydrothermal deposition of gold and the chargeable nature due to the presence of disseminated sulphide minerals (such as pyrite) which carry the gold. Therefore, targets that are both
resistive and chargeable are potentially very significant.
The ongoing survey will be completed with 100m line spacing and 25m station spacing
along those lines and is expected to take around one month to complete.