Japan Gold Corp (CVE:JG) (OTCQB:JGLDF) has updated on the progress of its alliance with Barrick Gold, saying it has completed bulk leach extractable gold (BLEG) and rock chip samples at eight of the venture's 14 southern Kyushu projects and is awaiting sample results.
The projects lie in the Hokusatsu region of Japan on the island of Kyushu. The region itself lies within the northern half of the southern Kyushu epithermal gold province, which is the country's largest gold producing region.
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The Barrick Alliance with Japan Gold was formed in February this year and spans 28 out of the firm's 30 current projects. Barrick will sole fund a two-year initial evaluation of each project and potentially a three-year second phase if they meet criteria.
Projects already covered by BLEG and rock sampling include Tobaru, Gumyo, Kurino, Onoyama, Onoyama-Yamagano extension, Mizobe-Onoyama extension, Mizobe and the Mizobe 1st Extension, Japan Gold said. Work programs have now begun on all 14 Barrick Alliance projects in the Hokusatsu Region, it added, covering a combined area of 33,506-hectares.
So far, 426 BLEG samples and 379 rock samples have been collected and are being sent to labs in Perth and Vancouver for analysis.
The Barrick Alliance regional sampling program on the island of Hokkaido will commence late July to capitalise on the summer field season, the firm added. The regional sampling program will resume in southern Kyushu in the latter part of the year once the Hokkaido regional work is completed.
Japan Gold has applications and prospecting rights covering 93,290 hectares or around 77% of prospective and explorable ground within the Hokusatsu region. It is focused solely on gold exploration across the three largest islands of Japan - Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu.
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