GoldHaven Resources Corp. has announced a major breakthrough at its Copeçal Gold Project in Mato Grosso, Brazil, confirming gold mineralization in unweathered bedrock for the first time through inaugural drilling at the high-priority West Target. The results from four diamond drill holes, particularly COPE-PDH-008, validate the company's geological model that a robust 6-kilometer surface geochemical anomaly is underlain by an in-situ hydrothermal gold system.
Key Bedrock Discovery in First-Ever Drilling
Hole COPE-PDH-008 intersected 39.0 meters at 0.11 grams per tonne gold from 58.0 meters in unweathered granodiorite-gneiss, marking the first confirmation of in-situ bedrock gold at the West Target. This interval included a higher-grade section of 3.0 meters at 0.30 g/t Au. Additionally, the same hole revealed 1.0 meter at 1.69 g/t Au from 1.0 meter in near-surface saprolite, indicating a high-grade structural shoot extending to the surface.
The drilling logged sheeted quartz veining and structural deformation throughout the fresh rock interval, consistent with the intrusion-related gold architecture characteristic of the Juruena Province. This bedrock confirmation resolves a critical geological question, demonstrating that the extensive surface anomaly originates from a genuine hydrothermal gold system rather than superficial mineralization.
Program Overview and Enhanced Prospectivity
All four West Target drill holes intersected gold mineralization, with assay values substantially exceeding local background levels across all intercepts. The enhanced saprolite thickness of approximately 60 meters at the West Target may reflect preferential weathering of altered or structurally impacted zones related to underlying mineralization, further supporting the presence of a significant system.
While the results confirm system fertility and enhance project prospectivity, additional work is required to determine continuity, grade distribution, and potential economic significance. GoldHaven plans to conduct physical property testing of drill core and integrated IP/resistivity geophysics to directly inform the orientation and targeting of follow-up drill holes.
Expert Commentary and Future Implications
Jon Hill, GoldHaven's Country Manager in Brazil and former Exploration Manager at AngloGold Ashanti, emphasized the importance of this discovery. "Prior to this program, all gold mineralization at the West Target had been confined to saprolite. A key exploration question was whether mineralization extends into underlying bedrock. Hole PDH-008 provides the first evidence that it does, intersecting sheeted quartz veining within granodiorite-gneiss at 58 metres with anomalous gold. This is a meaningful technical milestone that enhances our understanding of the mineralizing system and supports continued drilling," Hill stated.
The inaugural drilling program represents a significant step forward for GoldHaven, as it not only confirms the presence of anomalous gold mineralization across all holes but also demonstrates gold anomalism within unweathered bedrock for the first time at Copeçal. This breakthrough validates the exploration approach and sets the stage for more targeted follow-up drilling to further delineate the gold system's extent and economic potential.
