New Gallium Exploration Target defined at Mount Burgess’ (ASX:MTB) Kihabe Deposit - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• Mount Burgess Mining has revealed that a new Exploration Target has been reported for the Kihabe deposit in relation to Gallium.
• For the Exploration Target, the grade ranges and tonnage factors have been outlined on the grounds of the quartz wacke host geology wireframe.
• Gallium holds the potential to mark a substantial contributory credit for the project, according to the company.
• MTB has completed an in-depth review of Gallium assays in both the Sulphide and Oxide Zones at Kihabe.

In the latest announcement, Mount Burgess Mining (ASX:MTB) has revealed that a new Exploration Target estimated by Ashmore Advisory Pty Ltd has been reported for the Kihabe deposit in relation to Gallium.

The Exploration Target has been reported on the basis of the findings of exploration activities completed so far and references a dataset of historical drilling, geological and geophysical details, such as recent exploration data collected by MTB. The grade ranges and tonnage factors for the Exploration Target have been outlined on the grounds of the quartz wacke host geology wireframe. This is because Gallium is present at regular grades across the geological unit.

Potential Gallium Contribution

At the Kihabe Polymetallic Deposit, Gallium mineralisation is present as extensions within, above, and below the zinc/lead/silver/copper/vanadium/germanium mineralised domains. Therefore, in any potential mining operation designed to access the other mineral domains, Ga would be extracted.

Because of the consistency of its grade and occurrence with an average of 12.1ppm (g/t) over an average of 62.1% of drill hole lengths of all holes assayed for Gallium so far, across the Kihabe Deposit, Gallium holds the potential to mark a substantial contributory credit for the project.

Related development update

At Kihabe, Mount Burgess has wrapped up an in-depth review of Ga assays in both the Sulphide and Oxide Zones.

In March 2022, MTB had confirmed the results of the mineralogical work that was undertaken by the University of Tasmania on Ga and Ge samples collected from Kihabe.

The mineralogical association test work had detected that both Ga and Ge are likely present in Al/K mica and Fe mica, respectively. However, both not directly linked with zinc mineralisation.

The core samples from holes in Kihabe have been kept in Australia. They will be taken for additional test work in order to find out how the two metals can be recovered on site.

What’s next?

MTB is planning to re-assay the collected samples within the deposit area for germanium and gallium, and conduct additional drill testing in the coming years, if conditions allow.