Average J1 Vein Grade Of 18.70 g/t AuEq At 3.8 m Width
K92 Mining Inc. (TSX: KNT) has extended underground development towards the South by an additional 65m along the Judd 1235 Level J1 Vein, within the +2.5km strike, sparsely explored Judd Vein System at the Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea.
The Judd 1235 Level J1 Vein underground development has now been extended 65m since the length since late November 2020 to a total of 288m. High-grade material has continued to be recorded as development has advanced to the South.
The development extension recorded an estimated 3,800 tonnes at 18.70 g/t AuEq or 17.13 g/t Au, 0.82% Cu and 37 g/t Ag of additional undiluted J1 Vein extracted and based on underground channel sampling. Vein thickness averaged 3.8m and ranged from 1.0m to drive width at over 6.0m.
Since high-grade material was first encountered in September 2020, the latest 179m of development has recorded an estimated 10,400 tonnes at 15.39 g/t AuEq or 13.99 g/t Au, 0.80% Cu and 26 g/t Ag of additional undiluted J1 Vein extracted at an average of 3.7m vein width and based on underground channel sampling. Mineralisation continues to be intrusive related, gold-copper-silver, and similar to Kora.
Importantly, the 65m development extension recorded a significant frequency of high grades with 65% of faces recording J1 Vein average grades greater than 10 g/t AuEq from channel sampling. =.
CEO, John Lewins, said it is also important to note that the development extension is ~50 metres below hole JDD0006, which recorded 7.25 m at 256.09 g/t Au, 113 g/t Ag and 0.42% Cu (258.01 g/t AuEq) on the J1 Vein. JDD0006 is one of the highest-grade intersections drilled by K92 at Kainantu.
The development drive has been designed as a return airway (RAD) and as such has been developed with dimensions of 5.5 m x 5.5 m, significantly larger than an ore drive would be developed. Incorporating the resulting excess planned dilution of over 45%, the 65-metre extension mined an estimated 5,600 tonnes at 13.01 g/t AuEq or 11.92 g/t Au, 0.56% Cu and 27 g/t Ag. When incorporating excess dilution for the higher grade latest 179 metres of development, an estimated 15,600 tonnes at 10.41 g/t AuEq or 9.44 g/t Au, 0.56% Cu and 18 g/t Ag was mined. For the entire 288 metres, including the lower grade northern portion and excess dilution, an estimated 25,700 tonnes at 7.68 g/t AuEq or 6.67 g/t Au, 0.61% Cu and 16 g/t was mined. Vein thickness has averaged 3.7m over the entire 288m.
“The latest 65-metre strike extension of the Judd J1 Vein delivered not only a solid average vein thickness of 3.8 metres but an increase in vein grades averaging 18.70 g/t AuEq from channel sampling. Importantly, the frequency of high-grade faces was very high, with 65% of development faces recording J1 Vein grades averaging over 10 g/t AuEq from channel sampling,” Mr Lewins said.
“The extension continues to build off the high grades reported on November 23, 2020, where the latest 179 metres of development has recorded an average J1 Vein thickness of 3.7m at 15.39 g/t AuEq from channel sampling.
“While it is still early days, with only a fraction of the +2.5 km of strike explored and at least four known Judd veins recorded, from the results thus far, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Judd has the potential to be very significant for Kainantu. Judd is already emerging as a new mining front, providing a boost to operational flexibility, and Judd is also expected to be a factor for both our resource update and Stage 3 Definitive Feasibility Study in 2H 2021.”
