K92 Mining Inc. has announced the latest results from its ongoing maiden surface diamond drill program at the Arakompa prospect in Papua New Guinea.
In a statement, the company said the drilling confirmed two significant high-grade gold veins, AR1 and AR2, along with extensions of a bulk tonnage zone, reinforcing the area’s potential for both underground and open-pit mining.
Arakompa, located 4.5 kilometers from the Kainantu Gold Mine process plant, has not been drilled in over three decades. K92 Mining has completed 43 holes to date, significantly expanding knowledge of the mineralized system. The latest drill results continue to highlight Arakompa’s strong gold potential the company said.
CEO and Director John Lewins said: "The Arakompa maiden drill program continues to make significant progress, with the latest results delivering multiple positives, including a 20% increase in bulk zone strike length to approximately 900 meters, and the delineation of two major subparallel veins over significant strike, AR1 and AR2."
‘Strong Continuity’
The AR1 and AR2 veins have been defined to depths exceeding 500 meters, with strike lengths of approximately 675 meters and 775 meters, respectively. Both veins remain open in multiple directions, demonstrating continuity and strong gold grades, K92 said.
Recent drilling, it said, yielded notable high-grade gold intercepts:
AR1 Vein:
KARDD0033: 11.10 meters at 5.93 g/t AuEq (5.37 g/t Au, 8 g/t Ag, 0.29% Cu), including 3.30 meters at 11.15 g/t AuEq (10.92 g/t Au, 3 g/t Ag, 0.12% Cu). KARDD0035: 11.10 meters at 4.93 g/t AuEq (4.50 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag, 0.19% Cu), including 1.70 meters at 13.04 g/t AuEq (12.55 g/t Au, 15 g/t Ag, 0.19% Cu). KARDD0042: 2.60 meters at 11.91 g/t AuEq (9.06 g/t Au, 41 g/t Ag, 1.48% Cu).
AR2 Vein:
KARDD0038: 14.50 meters at 17.33 g/t AuEq (17.17 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag, 0.07% Cu), including 6.90 meters at 34.99 g/t AuEq (34.73 g/t Au, 7 g/t Ag, 0.11% Cu). KARDD0044: 12.00 meters at 5.26 g/t AuEq (5.18 g/t Au, 2 g/t Ag, 0.03% Cu), including 3.40 meters at 10.01 g/t AuEq (9.91 g/t Au, 2 g/t Ag, 0.05% Cu).
Lewins emphasized the significance of these results. "Both AR1 and AR2 are high-grade and have recorded considerable thickness and strong observed continuity, demonstrating high potential for underground mining."
Bulk Zone Expansion Enhances Open-Pit Potential
K92 has also extended the interpreted bulk tonnage zone by 150 meters to the south, bringing the total defined strike length to 900 meters and a vertical depth of 650 meters. This zone has an average true thickness of 48 meters, reinforcing its potential for large-scale mining.
Key bulk zone drill results include:
KARDD0038: 65.00 meters at 4.15 g/t AuEq (4.04 g/t Au, 3 g/t Ag, 0.05% Cu). KARDD0035: 85.30 meters at 1.19 g/t AuEq (1.00 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag, 0.08% Cu), including 29.90 meters at 2.49 g/t AuEq (2.09 g/t Au, 7 g/t Ag, 0.20% Cu). KARDD0042: 50.40 meters at 1.90 g/t AuEq (1.58 g/t Au, 6 g/t Ag, 0.15% Cu). Path Forward: Expanded Drilling and Resource Estimate
With only about half of the 1.7-kilometer-long mineralized corridor drill tested so far, K92 sees significant exploration upside. The company plans to deploy a new compact heli-portable drill rig by mid-2025 to explore northern extensions of Arakompa.
"We believe that we are only beginning to unlock Arakompa’s full potential," said Lewins. "A new drill rig will allow us to efficiently target the northern extension, effectively opening up a new front for exploration."
K92 aims to complete its maiden mineral resource estimate for Arakompa by mid-2025, which will provide further clarity on the project's scale and economic viability.
Arakompa’s Epithermal Gold System
Arakompa is interpreted as an intrusive-related gold-copper-silver epithermal vein system, similar to the producing Kora and Judd vein systems. However, unlike Kora and Judd, which are hosted in metasediments, Arakompa is hosted in tonalite and diorite rocks, K92 said.
Gold mineralization at Arakompa occurs in both high-grade vein lodes and a broader alteration envelope, suggesting bulk mining potential. The presence of porphyry-related alteration minerals and high-grade quartz-sulfide veins indicates a strong magmatic influence on gold deposition, it added.
Lewins said: "With a combination of high-grade veins, bulk mining potential, and strong geological continuity, Arakompa is shaping up as an exciting extension to our Kainantu operations."
