Vancouver-based Orezone Gold Corporation has reported a series of high-grade, shallow drill results from the P17 Zone at its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine in West Africa. The results come as the company advances commissioning of its Stage 1 hard rock processing plant, with first gold production expected within days.
Significant Grade Control Drill Results
The confirmatory grade control drilling program at the P17 Zone was designed to validate the existing resource and reserve models for the initial six months of planned production. The program successfully intercepted numerous high-grade intervals, confirming the zone's quality and continuity.
Selected highlights from the drill program include an intercept of 3.28 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 26.00 metres and another of 5.55 g/t gold over 15.00 metres. Other notable results were 3.29 g/t Au over 22m, 4.18 g/t Au over 16m, and a high-grade interval of 7.46 g/t Au over 8 metres. The company noted that the true widths of this mineralization are estimated to be between 75-80% of the drilled lengths.
P17 Zone: A Key Mill Feed Source for 2026
The P17 Zone is a high-grade hard rock deposit that outcrops at the surface at the southern end of the Bomboré mining lease. While the mine has historically focused on several phased oxide pits, some of which have advanced into hard rock, the P17 Zone is slated to become a primary feed source for the new hard rock processing plant in 2026.
Patrick Downey, President and CEO of Orezone, stated that the drill results successfully confirmed the P17 resource and reserve models. He emphasized that the findings underscore the high-grade nature and overall continuity of the mineralization. Mining activities in the initial area of the P17 pit are now underway, with the mined ore scheduled to be fed to the mill in early 2026 following the completion of plant commissioning.
Hard Rock Plant Commissioning Progressing on Schedule
Commissioning of the Stage 1 hard rock plant is well advanced. Key milestones have been achieved, including the commissioning of the jaw crusher and the establishment of a crushed ore stockpile. The SAG mill is now operational, with grinding media being added; the first ore is expected to pass through the mill imminently.
Water testing of the carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit is complete. The tanks are scheduled to be filled and fresh carbon added by the end of this week. Overall commissioning activities remain on schedule, with the first gold pour anticipated in the coming days.
Orezone Gold Corporation trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange under the symbol ORE, and on the OTCQX in the United States under the symbol ORZCF.
