An Alliance of Japan Gold and Barrick Gold has initiated an exploration program on properties held by Japan Gold on the islands of Kyushu, Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan. The program will include sampling of stream sediments for bulk leach extractable gold (BLEG) and multi-element pathfinder analysis, along with gravity surveys over the 1,521 km2 covered by the Alliance projects.
The program is anticipated to be completed within one year. Japan Gold is acting as the operator.
Sediment samples are being collected systematically in streams at a predetermined density across all of the project areas. The BLEG analysis allows ultra-low detection of gold, silver, mercury and copper to highlight anomalous stream catchments. A portion of the sediment sample is split off and separately analyzed for gold and a multisuit of pathfinder elements to confirm the BLEG result and better understand the nature of the source rocks.
Once anomalous catchments are identified, further sediment sampling is carried out upstream along the anomalous drainage to define the point of entry of anomalous metal. Further definition of the mineralized source is then carried out by rock float sampling and/or soil sampling on the slopes above the anomalous drainage.
Japan Gold Chairman and CEO John Proust commented, “The regional exploration program will assist the Alliance in evaluating the Japan Gold portfolio of projects to determine areas with anomalous gold showings and potentially fertile large structures. This will enable focused exploration on highest-priority areas to generate drilling targets.”
(japangold.com)