Golden Star’s Benso Update
Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSE Amex: GSS; TSX: GSC; GSE: GSR) has provided an update on the continuing exploration of its Benso concession in Ghana.
During 2009, 88 diamond drill holes were completed totaling 8,250 meters. This drilling was successful in extending mineralized zones along strike and down dip of the current mining areas. Resource models are being updated with the results from this new drilling and mineral reserves and mineral resource estimates are expected to be updated for the Benso area in the second half of 2010. Results and maps are available on the Company’s website, www.gsr.com.
The previously reported hole SWZDD016, located at the north end of the Subriso West (“SW”) pit and below the current pit design, intersected several zones of economic gold mineralization. Of particular note was an intersection at a drilled depth of 167 meters of 19 meters grading 3.6 g/t (grams per tonne) gold with a central core of 7 meters grading 6.5 g/t gold. This demonstrated that the high-grade mineralization continued at depth and could potentially support underground mining.
In 2009, five drill holes totaling 1,650 meters were drilled to further test this high grade zone. Hole SWZDD026 intersected three parallel zones beginning at a drilled depth of 161 meters including a 5 meter drilled width intercept of 26 g/t gold. Drill hole SWZDD030, targeted the new zone 100 meters along strike and intersected the high grade zone at a depth of 336 meters yielding 11.4 meters at 6.6 g/t gold including 4.4 meters grading 12.2 g/t gold. We continue to test this high grade target zone down dip and along strike.
The mineralization at Subriso West is associated with sheared feldspar porphyries and intermediate to mafic volcanic packages. The zone strikes northwesterly and dips at high angles to the west with the high grade shoot plunging steeply to the north-northwest. Further drilling is underway to determine the exact orientation of this plunging zone and the extents of the high grade gold mineralization. Gold mineralization is associated with silicification and disseminated sulfides with visible gold being observed in the higher grade portions. This material is similar to what is being mined in the Subriso West pit and being trucked to our Wassa plant approximately 50 kilometers to the north on our existing haul road.
Mitchel Wasel, Vice President, Exploration, commented that, “The drilling of this high grade shoot has produced some excellent results that should positively affect the next optimized pit shells and subsequent pit designs. The grades and thicknesses drilled thus far also exhibit widths and grades that could be amenable to underground mining.”
Drilling was also conducted north of Subriso East (“SE”) on the Benso concession. The mineralized zones have been extended for approximately 125 meters to the north of the existing pit. Recent ground geophysics has identified a strong chargeability anomaly further north of this drilled zone at SE potentially extending the zone by another 1,200 meters.
In addition to the step-out drilling conducted on the SE and SW zones, in-fill drilling was completed at the I zone where sufficient drilling information has now been obtained to convert the existing inferred mineral resource of approximately 200,000 tonnes grading 3.2 g/t gold to the indicated mineral category.
Golden Star holds a 90% equity interest in Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Limited and Golden Star (Wassa) Limited, which respectively own the Bogoso/Prestea and Wassa open-pit gold mines in Ghana. In addition, Golden Star has an 81% interest in the currently inactive Prestea Underground mine in Ghana, as well as gold exploration interests elsewhere in Ghana, in other parts of West Africa and in the Guiana Shield of South America. Golden Star has approximately 257 million shares outstanding.
Posted Feb. 01.10
