Canada-based Dalradian Resources has started its 30,000m surface drilling project at Curraghinalt gold deposit in Northern Ireland.
The latest project is a part of the company's exploration programme carried out this year.
The deposit is a lode gold system that comprises several structurally controlled, high-grade gold bearing quartz-carbonate veins.
Primarily, surface drilling will include step-out holes with the aim of investigating extensions of the Curraghinalt deposit, which is open in all directions.
Currently, there are five drill rigs that are mobilised and operating.
Dalradian Resources CEO Patrick Anderson said: “The 2017 work programme will enhance our Curraghinalt Gold Project through new drilling, geotechnical, geological and engineering studies.
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By GlobalData“Infill drilling from our underground programme has confirmed high-grade mineralisation within the existing resource envelope. We are now stepping out of that envelope to test the extensions of those high-grade veins.
“Over our seven years of exploration at Curraghinalt, we have been successful in expanding the mineral resource more than seven-fold.”
Anderson further added that results from test mining and processing of Curraghinalt mineralised material have demonstrated that the deposit responds effectively to mechanised mining methods.
In addition, ounces recovered in mining are said to be higher than predicted by the resource model and recoveries of more than 94% can be attained.
To date, work in and around Curraghinalt has involved more than 130,000m of drilling, underground channel sampling, interpretation of soil geochemistry grids, sampling of historic core, metallurgical testing, underground development, and exploration and permitting.