Sakassou Project

The 396.91 km2 Sakassou project (PR 944) is located in central Côte d’Ivoire on the northeast trending Bouaflé greenstone belt approximately 30 km northwest of Perseus Mining’s Yaouré mine (Figure 3), which produces over 200koz per year and has a Proven and Probable reserve of 37.2Mt at 1.73 g/t containing 2.07Moz of gold (see Perseus Mining press release dated December 19, 2023).

Koulou Gold entered the Sakassou project in 2021 after signing an earn-in agreement to earn up to 90% interest in the project with local partner, Global Minerale SA (GMSA). Subsequently, exploration works have followed a consistent phased approach, including soil sampling and trenching between 2019 - 2020 by GMSA, followed up by geological mapping, infill soil sampling, ground geophysics and drilling by Koulou Gold in 2021 and 2024.

Soil sampling, artisanal workings, trenching and reverse circulation drilling has identified three kilometre-scale NNE/NE trending targets (Bravo, Charlie, and Echo)(Figure 1).

Figure 1. Sakassou Overview. a) Geology and soil results; b) Regional Total Magnetic Field map

Bravo (West) Target

Geology: underlain by NE trending package of sedimentary rocks including mudstones, siltstones, sandstones, and polymictic conglomerates. Interpreted to sit on a fault-bounded sedimentary package interpreted to sit along the margin of a late orogenic fault-bounded Tarkwaian equivalent sedimentary basin. The regional structural trend is defined by steeply dipping to sub-vertical, NE trending, bedding sub-parallel S1 schistosity, shallowly NE plunging folds, and high-strain zones transposed along the interpreted basin margin (Figure 1).

Mineralisation: Gold mineralisation primarily occurs in quartz +/- pyrite stockwork that has preferentially developed in coarser grained sedimentary units (sandstone/conglomerate) with associated silicification and minor sericitization.

Exploration Success: The Bravo West trend has only been tested to approximately 100m vertical depth (Figure 2) and remains open at depth and towards the northeast for approximately 2 kilometers (Figure 1). The highest grade and best intercepts to date (33.0m at 2.38 g/t Au) have been hosted in fresh rock, below 50m vertical from surface (Figure 2). Additionally, BWRC24-009 intersected 0.63 g/t Au over 23m within a new parallel mineralised sandstone lens, which could significantly increase the volume of mineralised rock at Bravo West (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4). Significant results from drilling include:

Drilling Highlights Include:

  • BWRC-014: 33 meters at 2.38 g/t Au, including 15 meters at 3.83 g/t Au.
  • BWRC-015: 44 meters at 1.12 g/t Au.
  • BWRC-009: 40 meters at 1.14 g/t Au, including 6 meters at 3.94 g/t Au.
  • BWRC-018: 26 meters at 1.20 g/t Au.
  • BWRC24-006: 26 meters at 2.37 g/t Au, including 18 meters at 3.15 g/t Au.
  • BWRC24-008: 22 meters at 1.33 g/t Au, including 4 meters at 4.00 g/t Au.
  • BWRC24-012: 26 meters at 1.12 g/t Au, including 3 meters at 3.16 g/t Au.
  • BWRC24-015: 13 meters at 1.69 g/t Au, including 5 meters at 3.92 g/t Au.
  • BWRC24-007: 19 meters at 1.09 g/t Au, including 3 meters at 3.77 g/t Au.

Figure 2. Bravo Target drill results summary and geology map

Figure 3. Bravo West long section looking northwest (TOFR = Top of fresh rock)

Figure 4. Bravo West section A Interpretation (TOFR = Top of fresh rock, Sect. Az: 135°, thickness 80m) 

Echo Target

Geology: underlain by NE trending package of highly deformed sedimentary rocks including mudstones, siltstones, sandstones, and minor conglomerates. The regional structural trend is defined by steeply dipping to sub-vertical, NE trending, bedding sub-parallel S1 schistosity, shallowly NE plunging folds, and high-strain zones transposed along major faults (Figure 5).

Mineralisation: Like Bravo West, gold mineralisation primarily occurs in quartz +/- pyrite stockwork that has preferentially developed in coarser grained sedimentary units (sandstones/conglomerates) with associated silicification and minor sericitization. Gold mineralisation at Echo seems to be spatially associated with faulting/shearing parallel to axial planes and transposed limbs of regional folds.

Exploration Success: Gold was intersected in several holes, including ERC24-007 which returned several anomalous zones, including 0.44 g/t Au over 19m. Also, ERC24-001 tested beneath ESRC-026 (ended in mineralisation and intersected 6.94 g/t Au over 5m; see press release dated March 31, 2022) and returned 1.26 g/t Au over 12m. Additionally, ECR24-025 tested under a new artisanal pit and intersected 0.68 g/t Au over 21.0m and remains open in all directions. Significant results from drilling include:

  • ESRC-026 : 5m at 6.94 g/t Au
  • ERC24-001: 12 meters at 1.26 g/t Au incl. 1.0m at 10.40 g/t Au
  • ERC24-025: 21 meters at 0.68 g/t Au incl. 1.0m @ 7.10 g/t Au

Figure 5. Echo Target drill results summary and geology map

Charlie Target

Geology: underlain by NE trending panels of deformed mafic-intermediate volcanics, mafic-intermediate intrusive rocks, and clastic sedimentary rocks. The robust three-kilometer-long and up to 350m wide, in-situ, gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly at Charlie is spatially associated with an oblique splay of a major domain boundary observed in the magnetic map and spatially associated with high-chargeability and high-resistivity anomalies (see press release dated March 27, 2024).

Mineralisation: Thin and discontinuous zones of Intense sericite alteration, silicification, stockwork quartz veining are associated with gold mineralisation.

Exploration Success: Gold mineralisation was intersected in several holes along this structural corridor, including CRC24-020 which intersected 1.31 g/t Au over 6.0 m (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Charlie Target drill results summary and geology map

Sakassou East Permit: A new option agreement adds 26 km of untested prospective structures, including a 12 km extension of the Bravo West and East targets (Figure 1).

Future Exploration:

Surface Geochemistry: Stream sediment sampling and soil grids to guide further exploration supported by structural detailed interpretation and target generation (Figure 1).

Drilling: The next phase of exploration at Bravo West will systematically test at depth and along strike with oriented diamond core to test the continuity of the new parallel lense, and main lense at depth, and to better understand the geometry of geometric oreshoots.