Oct 26 2010
AFRICAN QUEEN MINES LTD., has announced that it has now completed a detailed airbourne geophysical survey together with the first phase of ground exploration on its Rongo Gold Field Project, which covers an area of approximately 112 sq. km in the Kanango gold mining area of the Migori District of Nyanza Province in Southwest Kenya near Lake Victoria.
Together, the airbourne survey and ground exploration program were designed to identify anomalous areas and areas of structural interest in order to advance the Company's understanding of the geological structure of the license area and to identify targets for follow-up exploration and a reconnaissance core drilling program. They comprise Phase 1 of the Company's exploration program at Rongo. Work has been underway for the past 4 months on site.
The detailed airborne geophysical survey was carried out by Terrascan Airborne GmbH & Co Kg of Germany on behalf of the Company and final data products have been received. This survey was conducted on 100 m line spacing with lines directed at 045o and a flying height of 70 m, and included both magnetic and radiometric studies. Approximately 2700 line km were flown. The survey was completed without incident and the aeromagnetic and radiometric data has now been received after the necessary quality control and assurance was carried out. Although geological interpretation of this data has not yet been totally finalised, a number of important features are already clearly visible. These include (i) the position of a major northwest trending structure, now termed the Kamwango Shear Zone, which underlies a number of known artisanal workings, (ii) the contact of the granite with the greenstones, which is regarded as an important control of the gold mineralisation, and (iii) a number of smaller shears and faults related to the much larger Kamwango Shear Zone.
The initial trenching program at the Kamwango target at Rongo has also been completed, together with related reconnaissance mapping, sampling and other ground exploration activities. Approximately 1200 m of trenching was carried out as part of Phase 1, generally in close proximity to existing artisanal workings in the area. These activities have revealed extensive zones of silicification, epidotisation and carbonatisation of the basaltic andesites (greenstones), while a very large structure is clearly visible on the airborne magnetic data crossing the Kamwango area. Quartz veining was encountered in the trenching together with visible gold. The trenches were channel sampled on a meter by meter basis with over 700 samples taken and forwarded to ALS Laboratories in Mwanz, Tanzania under proper quality control protocol. Additionally, reconnaissance mapping of the license area has been finalised, with over 600 km of field traverse completed.
The Rongo Gold license is situated in south-western Kenya south of the town of Kisumu. The exploration license (Special License No. 287) is held by Abba Mining Company Limited ("Abba") and is subject to an Earn-In and JV agreement with the Company under which the Company serves as manager/operator and may earn up to an 85% interest in the Project. The area of the license covers approximately 112 km2 of Archaean age metavolcanic lithologies comprising basalts, andesites and rhyolites. A large tonalitic granite, the Kitere granite, intrudes these rocks, all of which are included within the Nyanzian System. A number of historical gold mines are known in the general area and include Migori, one of the earliest gold mines in Kenya. The area is underexplored as even though artisanal mining is presently occurring on various parts of the license area, many parts are covered with a layer of clay and outcrop is generally very limited.
The detailed geological mapping and trench sampling of the Kamwango target has been carried out by Remote Exploration Services of Cape Town, S.A. ("RES") on behalf of the Company. Overall project management is being provided to the Company by Senior Consulting Geologist Pete Siegfried (M.Sc., MAusIMM), a qualified person, who has approved the contents of this press release.
Source: African Queen Mines Ltd.