Diamond Fields International Ltd. is working in Liberia on diamond and gold concessions
covering more than 181,000 hectares of prospective Archean- and Proterozoic-aged terrains. The company is greatly encouraged by a continuing stream of
positive gold results from both the Grand Gedeh and Grand Cape properties.
Stream sediment samples commonly report visible gold and the presence of
medium- to large-scale artisanal workings over in situ mineralization provides a
focus for advanced exploration leading to a near-term drilling program.
Grand Cape
On the Grand Cape property, host to Diamond Fields’ kimberlite discoveries and
targets, the Henry town gold camp, as defined by Diamond Fields’ mapping and sampling to
date, extends for at least 10 kilometres (km) along a northeast strike and for five km across
strike within the property boundaries. Of the 43 stream samples collected so
far 50 per cent have returned greater than 0.2 gram per tonne (g/t) gold. Visible gold is present
in heavy mineral concentrates from 10 of these samples, as well as in samples
of quartz veins within the Point Point artisanal mining site. Channel samples
across the target mineralization returned 13 g/t over widths of 1.5 m.
Step-out soil samples have picked up the gold anomaly for 250 m along strike
and 78 m across strike, returning values between 0.2 g/t and 2.83 g/t
gold. Grid soil sampling is under way to determine the full along- and across-strike extent of the target.
Bedrock geology in the area is dominated by upright folded gneissic rocks
enveloping what appear to be remnant greenstones (amphibolites) with cores of
oxide facies iron formation. Ultramafic intrusions are also mapped in the
area. Gold appears to be associated with quartz veins intruding the folded
gneissic rocks, alteration zones in tremolite schists at the contact with
gneiss and in the contact aureoles of ultramafic intrusions.
The camp is host to both in situ artisanal mining sites, as well as
numerous alluvial gold diggings Positive gold results from Diamond Fields’ regional
sampling will be followed up with further stream sediment work and grid-based
soil sampling to define further discreet in situ anomalies. The preponderance
of visible gold in stream sediment samples and the artisanal activity in many
of the drainages in the restricted area so far defined gives the company
encouragement that a significant gold deposit can be defined within a short
period of time.
Grand Gedeh
Reconnaissance work has located a second prospect adjacent to the Cestos
shear along the western side of the property. Of 16 stream sediment samples
collected from eight small streams in a restricted drainage all contain visible
gold. The sampling defines a two-kilometre-by-500-metre area of high ground striking parallel
to the Cestos shear zone as the location of the mineralized structures. The
host rock appears to be amphibolite-grade mafic volcanic rock intruded by
porphyritic gabbro plugs creating small hills throughout the area. Grid-based
soil sampling is under way over the target. This work should identify the
bedrock source of the coarse gold leading to a first-pass drilling program.
On the Grand Gedeh property initial work was focused on the artisanal
working in the Barteajam area. A soil grid completed over the known workings
showed a semi-continuous gold anomaly over more than one kilometre (km), but was not
sufficiently definitive to establish drill targets. Sampling normal to the
east-west strike direction shows the anomaly is present over a wider area than
is currently being mined. Sampling of pits dug by artisanal miners will
provide a picture of the gold anomaly in profile while further soil sampling
along and across-strike will be carried out to sharpen understanding of the
mineralization. The host rock is mapped as a mafic volcanic although tropical
weathering to a depth of more than 20 m has so far precluded recovery of
unaltered rock.
Exploration plans
The reconnaissance effort continues on both properties with approximately
60 per cent of Grand Cape and 50 per cent of the Grand Gedeh property receiving first-pass
stream sediment and soil sampling. Follow up of samples exhibiting visible
gold or returning elevated gold values from fire assay is continuing.
Qualified person and assay lab
Stream sediment and soil samples for gold are screened to remove oversize
material, dried and shipped to the Anglo American Research Laboratory in
Johannesburg, where they are pulverized and analyzed via ICP and fire assay
with an Au detection limit of 20 parts per billion (ppb). The results of the sampling programs have
been reviewed, verified (including sampling, analytical and test data) and
compiled by the Diamond Fields’ geological staff supervised by Randal
Cullen, PGeol, a qualified person as indicated under National Instrument (NI) 43-101.
Financing
The company is considering alternatives for securing additional financing
required for continuation and expansion of the exploration programs in
Liberia, as well as for the June/July dry docking, maintenance and refit
program for the company’s mining vessel MV DF Discoverer as announced in a
news release in Stockwatch dated May 16, 2006.
