Pan African Mining Corp

Properties & Projects: Madagascar > Andavakoera: Exploration
Madagascar Properties & Projects Andavakoera

Exploration

The Company has not conducted exploration on this property beyond a visual assessment of the small portion accessible from the main road and two test samples taken by PAC to verify the presence of gold.

Drilling
No drilling was done on the Andavakoera Property.

Sampling Method
Two samples were taken from shallow pits being worked by local villagers. These were taken as grab samples of material broken with a geologist hammer. The samples were prospecting type samples and not take to check known results. The following table gives sample location, characteristics and results obtained.

PDF DocumentDownload sample table.

Sample Preparation, Analyses and Security
Christopher's samples were secured and personally delivered to Acme Laboratories in Vancouver, British Columbia for analysis.

Sample Preparation and Analytical Procedures
Samples consisted of 2-3 kilograms of small chips collected by PAC were placed in plastic bags and secured with wire ties. Acme used conventional 30 elements ICP and gold by FA with AA finish.

Quality Control and Check Analytical and Testing Procedures
Christopher based much of the information in this report on historical data from documents that appear reasonable and reliable. The analytical procedures, quality control or reliability checking were not addressed in available reports.

Data Verification
Data generated by work done on the Andavakoera property prior to Christopher's examination was not verified beyond comparing information presented by different authors. Much of the information on the history of this property dates to the early part of the 20th century and data is not well documented. Recent information was obtained mainly from documents released by the BRGM. These are not detailed and often based on unavailable, proprietary data.

Adjacent Properties
Gold was discovered in the Betsiaka – Andavakoera district in 1906. Between 1906 and 1909, small-scale informal mining of surface material yielded 2829 kg of gold with 1223 kg produced in 1909. From 1909 to 1922, several underground operations worked high-grade quartz veins to a maximum depth of 60m, driving some 17 km of drift and a number of shafts. By 1922, underground operations were becoming sub-economic and total production amounted to 4142 kg of gold. From 1923 to 1941, mainly informal mining of alluvial or lag material is estimated to have produced 380 kg of gold.

Total declared production from 1906 to 1941 amounts to nearly 7,350 kg of gold with less than a quarter extracted from underground. Since 1941, small-scale mining by local inhabitants has continued but total production is not known.

The principal mine workings are summarized by Besairie (1948) and others.
Ranomafana
This mine was worked from underground to a maximum depth of 85m and 604m along strike. Surface workings over 400m and three shafts accessed two underground levels in 1984. Hot water influx was in the order of 150 cubic meters per hour. A grade of 10 g/t Au was considered unacceptably low when the mine closed in 1915.

Caplong
This mine was located immediately east of the Ranomafana on the same structure but separated by 300m of barren vein. A stockwork system in Permian sandstones produced 80 kg of gold from a small open pit.

Betsoika
This mine featured a 25 stamp mill, amalgamation tables, cyanidization capabilities and two large electrical generators. All production was from surface pits and trenches. Approximately 300m of drifting has identified sub economic mineralized zones.

Andavakoera
Trenching, to a depth of 30m over a quartz vein, produced 60 kg of gold from rich pockets.

Ampomony
This mine worked four narrow stringers and two larger veins. A shaft, completed in 1908, accessed a 150m drift. The mine closed in 1921.

Ambilo
A single vein, mined to a depth of 60m, produced 400 kg of gold.

Andimakomby-Tambo
The structure was mined from a 180m pit measuring 50m in width and 30m deep. A shaft was sunk to 75m.

Berezika
Records indicated mineralization along a north striking cross-structure that was explored with two shafts to about 60 m and two levels. Vein widths are not reported but Besairie described a series of high-grade bodies measuring 10 to 15 meters in length with a maximum grade of 60 g/t.

Betakilotra
Known as the Jamet deposit, consists of a weakly mineralized NNE striking barite vein cut by several rich north trending stringers.
Modern Era Exploration History
Beginning in 1949, and intermittently through the 1950's and 1960's, BUMIFOM (Bureau Minier de la France Outre-Mer) and its successor the BRGM, conducted small exploration programs. This work focused on gold and base metals along the Andavakoera structure and adjacent Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments. Brief summaries of results suggest that nothing of interest to BRGM was found. A stream prospecting survey completed in 1968 produced a number of interesting gold anomalies and cinnabar, scheelite and tourmaline in pan concentrates, but the anomalous results did not receive follow-up.

In 1979, Baroid Corporation explored barite deposits in the Bereziky area with four short drill holes and several trenches. Results are not available.

Prospecting was done by the BRGM between 1973 and 1979 but none of the results has been made public.

The BRGM conducted a study of the Andavakoera area in 1984 that focused primarily on sedex lead-zinc mineralization in Permian and Early Triassic sediments. Quartz-barite vein mineralization in the Andavakoera region was also evaluated. Bretizel suggests that zinc anomalies, associated with the Ranomafana area pyrite-rich Triassic schists, have potential for base metal massive sulphide deposits, but mineralization is masked by deep weathering and leaching.

In 1986 and 1987 the BRGM, focusing on gold in the metamorphic basement and overlying Permian strata near Betsiaka. This work consisted of detailed geological mapping and soil geochemical surveys over three local grids, about 30 hand-auger holes and four diamond drill holes. Strong surface gold anomalies were found in Permian sandstones near their contact with Proterozoic basement rocks. One anomaly averaged 2 g/t gold over an area measuring 200m by 400m. In 1988, work on the Korimalandy grid south of Betsiaka, consisting of 12 shallow diamond drill holes and hand-auger holes, confirmed a broad zone of anomalous gold. Analytical results from drilling on that target were not provided by the BGRM. However, these results must have been encouraging since a subsequent report by the BRGM suggested that a small-scale, informal mining operation might be economic. The Korimalandy area has several active informal mining operations.

Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing
No metallurgical testing was carried out on samples from the Andavakoera Property.

Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimates
The A5 (Andavakoera) project area is an exploration stage property with known mineral occurrence mainly represented by informal surface mining of alluvial gold mineralization. There are no reserves or mineral resources on the Andavakoera Property or in the immediate area.
Choose another Property/Project in Madagascar
Andavakoera Andavakoera
The property block is located east of Ambilobe situated in the Diego province.
Map of Andavakoera Get Adobe Reader
 
Contact Site Index