en.Wedoany.com Reported - UK-based company Ankh Resources has completed and disclosed assay results for the 17th and final diamond drill hole (WDD017) from its inaugural drilling program at the Wadi Dara license area in Egypt's Eastern Desert.
These 17 holes are part of an initial exploration drilling phase aimed at confirming the down-dip continuity of high-grade trenching results and testing the lateral extension of the mineralized system. Geological mapping indicates that the gold/copper mineralization extends approximately 4 kilometers along strike, spanning Target Areas A and B, with an average width of about 1.5 kilometers, and only a small portion has been tested by drilling to date.
A total of 17 diamond drill holes were completed in Target Area A, totaling 6,402 meters, to test the down-dip extension of high-grade trenching results and the lateral extent of mineralization previously identified through surface mapping, geochemical sampling, and trenching. Using the defined cut-off grade, 14 of the 17 holes returned significant gold and/or copper intersections. Ankh stated that this success rate is considered significant, given that a large proportion of holes in such initial exploration programs are typically designed to test system edges and extents rather than the highest-confidence zones.
Significant intersections include: 15 meters @ 1.66 g/t gold and 1.12% copper in hole WDD001, including 2 meters @ 11.15 g/t gold and 4.86% copper; 10.1 meters @ 2.54 g/t gold and 1.11% copper in hole WDD002, including 0.9 meters @ 22.44 g/t gold and 5.69% copper; 6.2 meters @ 3.44 g/t gold and 0.57% copper in hole WDD005, including 1 meter @ 16.59 g/t gold and 2.70% copper; 6 meters @ 5.04 g/t gold and 1.28% copper in hole WDD006, including 1.15 meters @ 19.70 g/t gold and 4.85% copper; and 1 meter @ 16.55 g/t gold and 1.58% copper in hole WDD010A.
Drilling has confirmed mineralization along strike across multiple sections, from Section 20900N to 21500N, establishing a confirmed strike extent of over 600 meters within Target Area A. Hole WDD007 is interpreted by the exploration team as a possible southern strike extension of the mineralized zone intersected in holes WDD001 and WDD006 on Section 21200N, further extending this mineralized trend. Mineralization remains open in both directions beyond the current drilling footprint, consistent with surface mapping that has traced a total strike length of approximately 4 kilometers for gold/copper mineralization between Target Areas A and B; the majority of this strike extent, including all of Target Area B and the intervening wadi corridor, remains undrilled. Mineralization also remains open at depth, with the deepest hole drilled to date (WDD006) intersecting mineralization at 526.8 meters.
Based on results from two pairs of independent scissor holes (WDD011/WDD013 and WDD010A/WDD012), a near-horizontal structural displacement is interpreted to have shifted mineralization at depth below Sections 21500N and 21900N, an interpretation that will be tested in the planned Phase 2 program. Phase 2 drilling is expected to include strike extension drilling along the confirmed 20900N–21500N corridor, initial testing of Target Area B and the intervening wadi corridor, and targeted infill drilling for an initial mineral resource estimate.
Ankh CEO Mostafa Talaat stated that the completion of the initial 17-hole diamond drilling program represents a significant milestone, substantially improving the understanding of structural and lithological controls on mineralization at Wadi Dara. He emphasized that this was an initial exploration program, with some holes specifically designed to test system edges and extents, and therefore expressed encouragement at the rate of significant intersections, noting that these results provide a solid foundation for designing a more targeted Phase 2 program.
Ankh Exploration Manager Abdelhaleem Assran added that the Phase 1 drilling results have substantially increased the company's confidence in the scale, continuity, and geological potential of the Wadi Dara mineralized system. The consistency of mineralization across multiple drill sections has improved the understanding of mineralizing controls and provided clear high-priority targets for the next drilling phase. With mineralization now open over more than 600 meters of strike, as well as in both directions and at depth, Assran stated that Wadi Dara is demonstrating characteristics of a laterally extensive gold/copper mineralized system with considerable exploration potential, while a significant portion of the mapped mineralized corridor, including Target Area B and the intervening wadi corridor, remains untested by drilling, providing substantial scope to further expand the known mineralized footprint and assess the broader potential of the project.
