Artisanal gold miners work at one of the mining sites in Macalder on October 7, 2021. PHOTO | IAN BYRON | NMG
Three more gold fields have been discovered within the western Kenya belt following ongoing exploration efforts by Shanta Gold Limited.
The trio; Kimingini, Dhene and Miruka now add to the traditional Isulu and Bushiangala gold fields, raising hope that the Guernsey-registered firm will strike a commercially viable find whose potential has been estimated to be Sh164 billion.
This now brings to five, the number of gold fields with high inferred gold deposits within the popular Lihranda corridor that stretches from Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia and parts of Siaya.
Kimingini is located within the Lihranda camp while Dhene and Miruka sit within the Ramula camp.
Shanta Gold Limited Chief executive Eric Zurrin said the three fields have a total of seven high-priority targets adding that the company is now expanding its drilling exercise in the area as the thirst to establish a mine gathers momentum. Isulu and Bushiangala have been the centre of concentration by the exploration firm that holds seven licenses that were issued by the Government of Kenya.
Mr Zurrin said recent drilling results from West Kenya continue to confirm the high-grade nature of the ores after visible gold was identified across several of the intersections.
“We expect to provide a resource update before the year-end at the Isulu and Bushiangala deposits while we should also provide a mineral resource update for Ramula in January,’ said Mr Zurrin.
He went on: “With these announcements in the coming months, shareholders can expect to see a significant conversion of the inferred resources to indicated ounces, further de-risking the mineral resource estimate and demonstrating the intrinsic value of the West Kenya Project.”
“We remain extremely excited about the potential of the west Kenya Project, with its exceptionally high-grade resource marking it out from other gold global exploration projects,” said Mr Zurrin.
The official said the firm is confident that the market will start to realise the true value that West Kenya brings to the Shanta portfolio by the end of this year
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