14
January 2025
Lexington
Gold Ltd
("Lexington Gold" or the "Company")
Maiden JORC (2012)
Exploration Target Established for Bothaville Project, SA
Lexington Gold (AIM: LEX), the gold
exploration and development company with projects in South Africa
and the USA, is pleased to announce,
further to the Company's announcement of 28 October 2024, the
establishment of a maiden Exploration Target (JORC, 2012) for the
group's Bothaville Project in the Free State Province, South
Africa. The Exploration Target estimation is based on recent
drilling results, historical data, and advanced geological
modelling and was produced by Shango Solutions in accordance with
the Joint Ore Reserve Committee guidelines ("JORC 2012") for the
Bothaville Project.
The Bothaville Project is
strategically located within the world-renowned Witwatersrand
Basin, a region that has historically produced approximately 40% of
gold mined globally to date.
Highlights:
Maiden JORC Exploration Target:
·
Total independently estimated JORC Exploration
Target of approximately 16 - 30 million tonnes (Mt) for the combined A and B Reefs
with an average grade range of approximately 3.26 - 6.03 g/t Au, equivalent to 1.7 to 5.8 million ounces (Moz)
of gold
·
A
Reef: 11Mt - 20Mt grading 3.2 - 5.9
g/t Au, equivalent to 1.1Moz to 3.8Moz of gold,
respectively
·
B
Reef: 5Mt - 10Mt grading 3.4 - 6.3
g/t Au, equivalent to 0.5Moz to 2Moz of gold,
respectively
·
The maiden Exploration Target complies with the
JORC Code (2012) and underscores the project's significant gold
potential
·
Drilling in 2023/2024 confirmed an NW-SE trending
A Reef Kimberley Formation channel with encouraging continuity and
grades
·
Detailed geological modelling has highlighted
further potential for Mineral Resource delineation within the Big
Pebble and B Reefs
·
Planned follow-up drilling to upgrade the
Exploration Target to a Mineral Resource estimate
Ed
Nealon, Non-Executive Chairman of Lexington Gold,
commented:
"This maiden JORC Exploration Target at the Bothaville Project
represents a significant step forward in unlocking the potential of
one of South Africa's premier gold exploration regions. With
potentially up to 5.8Moz of gold contained in our Exploration
Target, it serves to validate and reaffirm Lexington Gold's
strategic focus on high-quality, scalable projects in the
Witwatersrand Basin.
"The exceptional work by our team and Shango provides a solid
foundation for the next phase of exploration and we look forward to
advancing the Bothaville Project alongside our other world-class
portfolio assets."
Dr
Bernard Olivier, Chief Executive Officer of Lexington Gold,
commented:
"The establishment of this maiden JORC-compliant Exploration
Target of up to 5.8 million
ounces of gold at the Bothaville Project, combined with the
existing JORC-compliant Mineral Resources of over 6 million ounces across our joint
venture with Harmony Gold and the JORC Mineral Resource established
for our US projects, firmly positions Lexington Gold as a
substantial international gold exploration
company.
"In addition, our ongoing discussions with Gold One Africa
regarding potential collaboration on the Ventersburg Project
further highlights the quality of our assets and commitment to
leveraging potential synergies. Lexington Gold is uniquely placed
with an impressive portfolio of gold exploration assets across two
world-class mining jurisdictions and I look forward to further
progressing our projects to deliver value to our
shareholders."
Additional Information
Shango Solutions ("Shango"),
registered as Dunrose Trading 186 (Pty) Ltd, is an
independent geological consultancy based in South Africa.
Established in 2004, Shango specialises in exploration, geological
modelling, Mineral Resource estimation and technical reporting.
Shango's independence ensures conflict-free, objective technical
support, and it has provided technical services to a number of
major international mining houses including BHP Billiton, RioTinto,
Barrick, Harmony and GoldOne. For further information, please visit
their website at: www.shango.co.za.
Geological Summary
The Bothaville Project benefits from
favourable geological structures within the Witwatersrand
Basin:
· The
De Bron Horst Block, located approximately 70 km southwest, is a
significant gold-hosting structure in the Welkom
Goldfield
· The
Concord Horst Block, situated 10 km north of the De Bron Horst,
hosts uplifted strata of Witwatersrand and Ventersdorp age rocks,
with up to 3,000 m of uplift
These horst blocks have created
shallow exposures of gold-bearing conglomerates in the Kimberley
Formation thereby enhancing the Bothaville Project's accessibility
and exploration potential. The combination of these two structures
has led to the presence of shallow Witwatersrand rocks. Previous
work in the project area has confirmed the presence of these
horizons, which included several mineralised conglomerates of
interest.
The main exploration targets are
gold-bearing conglomerates in the Kimberley Formation of the
Central Rand Group. The Exploration Target for the project is
within the Kimberley Reef package of the Aandenk Member (A Reef),
supported by possible mineralisation in the Big Pebble and B Reefs.
The Kimberley Formation sub crops beneath the Karoo cover over a
strike length of about 10 km.
The A Reef, the primary Exploration
Target, is characterised by:
· A
NW-SE oriented channel structure with thicknesses ranging between 2
m and 4 m;
· Promising grades, including historical values of 7.7 g/t over
68.2 cm (borehole CC2) and 6.1 g/t over 77 cm (borehole GO-001);
and
· Excellent lateral continuity confirmed by both historical and
recent drilling.
Proximal intrusions near the A Reef
contact have locally affected grades, emphasising the importance of
further exploration to delineate high-grade zones.
Maiden JORC (2012) Exploration Target
The maiden Exploration Target, based
on the 2012 Edition of the JORC Code, highlights the Bothaville
Project's substantial gold potential (Table 1).
The Exploration Target is an
estimate of the exploration potential of the gold-bearing
conglomerates of the Kimberley Formation of the Central Rand
Group. The Exploration Target reported was
classified in accordance with the guidelines set out in the 2012
Edition of the "Joint Ore Reserve Committee" (The JORC
Code). Exploration Targets are an estimate
of the exploration potential of a mineral deposit which is quoted
as a range of tonnes and a range of grade due to geological
uncertainty and insufficient data support. The Exploration Target
is supported by a combination of recent drilling results (Lexington
Gold's drilling in 2023/2024) as well as historical summary
borehole data.
The Exploration Targets are
conceptual in nature as there has so far been insufficient
exploration to define Mineral Resources. It is also uncertain if
further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral
Resource under the 2012 Edition of the JORC Code. The Exploration
Target is therefore reported separately and does not form part of
the declared Mineral Resources. Furthermore, it is not guaranteed
that the mineralisation will extend as far as the Exploration
Target upper estimates have been extrapolated.
Table 1: Summary of JORC (2012)
Exploration Target ranges (at a 2 g/t Au cutoff)
|
Tonnes
|
Au g/t
|
Gold Ounces
(Million)
|
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
High
|
A
Reef
|
11,000,000
|
20,000,000
|
3.20
|
5.90
|
1.13
|
3.79
|
B
Reef
|
5,000,000
|
10,000,000
|
3.40
|
6.30
|
0.55
|
2.03
|
Total
|
16,000,000
|
30,000,000
|
3.26
|
6.03
|
1.68
|
5.82
|
The Exploration Targets are reported
with an upper and lower range. These ranges are calculated by
adding 30% to the base value of the lode tonnage and grade for an
upper range and subtracting 30% for the lower range. The base value
is the modelled tonnage, and the grade applied is the average of
borehole or underground data or an estimate thereof based on
similar reefs.
Geological Modelling and Data
The 3D geological modelling exercise
conducted by Shango for the Bothaville Project focused on four
primary reef targets, three of which belong to the Kimberley
succession:
·
The A Reef, Big Pebble Reef (BPR) and B Reef, with
one target within the Randfontein formation, the Vaal
Reef
·
The geological modelling formed the basis for the
maiden JORC-compliant Exploration Target and was instrumental in
defining the project's potential
Shango employed Seequent's Leapfrog Geo software for 3D
geological modelling, which is widely recognised as an
industry-leading tool for advanced geological and Mineral Resource
modelling. The modelling incorporated historical drilling data, new
data from Lexington Gold's 2023/2024 drill campaign and structural
information. The 3D models were built with a strong emphasis on
accuracy and data validation, resulting in a robust framework for
the Exploration Target.
Key aspects of the geological
modelling include:
1. Data Integration and
Validation
Historical and recent drilling data
were compiled, analysed, and validated for accuracy and
consistency. Borehole logs, assay results and structural data were
incorporated to create a comprehensive dataset.
2. Stratigraphic and Structural
Modelling
The Kimberley Formation and the
Randfontein Formation were modelled with a focus on understanding
the orientation and continuity of the key reef targets. Faults,
intrusives and other structural features were identified and
incorporated into the model to account for potential geological
complexities.
3. Estimation Parameters
Grade estimates were calculated
using the kriging
algorithm, with Simple
Kriging (SK) selected for its ability to employ global means
and manage variability in gold grade distributions. The
Inverse Power of Distance
(IDW) method was applied as a secondary validation technique
during the block model validation process, ensuring consistency
between estimation approaches.
4. Cutoff Grades and Loss
Factors
A cutoff grade of 2 g/t Au was
applied, aligning with industry standards for similar deposits in
the Witwatersrand Basin. A geological loss factor of 25% was incorporated to account for
potential uncertainties, including grade variations and structural
complexities.
5. Validation and Comparisons
The geological and grade models
underwent rigorous validation, including cross-checks between
kriging and IDW results. Sensitivity analyses were performed to
understand the impact of varying cutoff grades and other parameters
for the Exploration Target.
The detailed 3D modelling exercise
significantly enhanced the understanding of the reef geometries,
grades, and continuity within the Bothaville Project. The A Reef
was identified as the primary exploration target due to its
favourable grades and well-defined channel structure, while the Big
Pebble Reef and B Reef were confirmed as promising secondary
targets (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Leapfrog model depicting
the Ventersdorp Lava (green) eroded by the Karoo Supergroup. Note
the A Reef (red) reflecting underneath the Ventersdorp Lava along
major structures.
6. Drilling and Analysis
The Company's 2023-2024 drill
campaign, as announced on 23 May 2024, played an instrumental role
in defining the maiden JORC Exploration Target (Table
2).
The key outcomes
included:
·
Eight A Reef intersections obtained from three
motherholes and five deflections (Figure 2)
·
Improved understanding of the influence of
intrusions, which can impact grades near the A Reef
contact
The modelling incorporated
historical drilling data, new data from Lexington Gold's 2023/2024
drill campaign and structural information (Table 2).
Drilling was conducted to international best
practice standards, incorporating rigorous QA/QC measures such as
Certified Reference Materials (CRMs), blanks and re-assays. All
data was compiled and verified using secure geological
databases.
Table 2: Borehole information
utilised for the Bothaville Project.
Source
|
Log Status
|
Motherhole
|
Deflection
|
Total
|
CGS
|
Summary
|
40
|
60
|
100
|
Lexington
Gold
|
Full
|
5
|
6
|
11
|
Gold
One
|
Summary
|
1
|
6
|
7
|
Total
|
118
|

Figure 2: A Reef stratigraphic
column and results of all the A Reef intersections from Lexington
Gold's 2023/24 drill programme.
Next Steps
Lexington Gold aims to build on this
maiden Exploration Target by conducting additional drilling and
geological analysis, in due course, to potentially upgrade the
Exploration Target to a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource
estimate.
Planned activities
include:
1. Further
drilling to enhance data density and geological
confidence
2. Advanced
structural and grade modelling to better delineate high-grade
zones
3. Ongoing
environmental and regulatory compliance to support the project's
long-term development.
Competent Person's Statement
The information contained in this
announcement is based on a technical report prepared by Shango and
the relevant Competent Person (CP) taking responsibility for the
Exploration Target estimates is Mr Hermanus Berhardus Swart from
Shango. Mr Swart is a Professional Natural Scientist registered
with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professionals
(SACNASP) (membership number 400101/00), and he is also a Fellow of
the Geological Society of South Africa. Mr Swart is independent of
Lexington Gold and its subsidiaries and has sufficient experience
relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under
consideration and to the technical activity being undertaken. He
has reviewed and approved the information in this announcement and
consents to the inclusion of the information in this announcement
in the form and context in which it appears.
Ms Linert Mutongoreya (Pr. Sci.
Nat., MBA and MSc) is responsible for the declaration of the
Exploration Targets. Ms Mutongoreya is a geologist with 20 years'
Mineral Resource definition experience within the mining industry
and is currently involved in the economic evaluation of mineral
projects both in operation at an exploration stage. Ms Mutongoreya
is a Professional Natural Scientist registered with SACNASP
(membership number 400181/08), and a Member of the Geological
Society of South Africa (membership number 966009). Ms Mutongoreya
is independent of Lexington Gold and its subsidiaries.
For
further information, please contact:
Lexington Gold Ltd
Bernard Olivier (Chief Executive
Officer)
Edward Nealon (Chairman)
Mike Allardice (Group Company
Secretary)
|
www.lexingtongold.co.uk
via Yellow
Jersey
|
Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated Adviser)
Matthew Chandler / James Bellman /
Abigail Wennington
|
www.strandhanson.co.uk
T: +44 207
409 3494
|
Peterhouse Capital Limited (Broker)
Duncan Vasey / Lucy Williams
(Broking)
Eran Zucker (Corporate
Finance)
|
www.peterhousecap.com
T: +44 207
469 0930
|
Yellow Jersey PR Limited (Financial Public
Relations)
Charles Goodwin / Annabelle
Wills
|
www.yellowjerseypr.com
T: +44
7747 788 221
|
Note to Editors:
Lexington Gold (AIM: LEX) is a gold
exploration and development company currently holding interests in
four diverse gold projects, covering a combined area of
approximately 1,675 acres in North and South Carolina, USA and in
six gold projects covering approximately 114,638 hectares in South
Africa.
Further information is available on
the Company's website: www.lexingtongold.co.uk
or follow us through our social media channel:
X: @LexGoldLtd
Neither the contents of the
Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from
hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is
incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.