Awalé Resources Defines Extensive Gold in Soil Anomalies at the Odienné Project, Côte d'Ivoire.

VANCOUVER, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Awalé Resources Limited ("Awalé" or the "Company") (TSXV: ARIC) is pleased to announce extensive gold in soil anomalies from three target areas at the Odienné permit in north west Côte d'Ivoire (Figure 1). The targets were identified from an initial stream sediment sampling and reconnaissance mapping programs. The stream sampling highlights the potential for an extensive north-south trending corridor of mineralization through the entire 30-kilometre length of the property. Follow up soil programs have now been completed over 3 prospects with some 1800 samples collected and analysed at ALS laboratories. 

Highlights from the program include:

• Vakaba Prospect- (Figure 2 & 3) Five, sub parallel, gold in soil anomalies more than 700 metres long with greater than 50ppb gold in soil anomalies, each including cores of greater than 300ppb. Peak soil values of 2.15 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au). and 9.1g/t Au Vakaba has also returned numerous rock chip samples greater than 1 g/t Au with a peak value of 24.8g/t Au.
  
  
• Empire Prospect- (Figure2 & 4) One 2 kilometre long greater than 50ppb gold in soil anomaly, including a 500m long greater than 200ppb core, open to the east and west. The Empire prospect has also returned one 32g/t Au rock chip sample during reconnaissance mapping.
  
  
• Denguèlé prospect- (Figure2 &5) 4 x 1km long parallel > 20ppb anomalies, two of these having >50ppb cores. Rock chip sampling at this prospect has returned results up to 1.86g/t Au.

These three priority targets known as Denguèlé, Vakaba and Empire were chosen from either high tenor stream anomalism, artisanal activity and recognition of prospects from reconnaissance mapping and rock chip sampling.  These results are very encouraging and now lead into the next stage of exploration in Q4 being detailed geological mapping and infill geochemistry for drill targeting.  Other targets within the property have also been identified and warrant further systematic sampling and mapping.

View Attached Figures: http://www.awaleresources.com/_resources/maps/Odienne_Geochem_2018_06_28_Final_Figures.pdf

CEO Glen Parsons commented today:

"These encouraging results from Odienné complement Awalé's strategy of operating multiple prospective project areas with the potential for multiple gold discoveries.  These highly anomalous prospects at Odienné will potentially lead into ultimate scout drilling targets adding to our growing pipeline. 

The Company operates in Côte D'Ivoire on three distinct project areas being Bondoukou, the newly granted Abengourou permits on the eastern side of the country and Odienné in the northwest. Whilst Bondoukou remains our flagship project in the north east, where drilling has recently been completed, Awalé remains actively committed to its pipeline of gold projects.

All projects areas are highly prospective and display considerable artisanal gold activity. Awalé's approach to exploration remains committed to systematic exploration enhancing the geological model with the aim of leading to scout drilling and ultimate discovery as is currently the approach at Bondoukou.

We look forward to updating the market soon on the Bondoukou drill results."

Background on Odienné
The Odienné project lies in the northwest of Côte d'Ivoire within the Denguèlé Region, close to the borders of Mali and Guinea. The project consists of the 397km² granted permit 'Odienné East', and one in application; Odienné. These permits are held under a separate joint venture with ANGET-CI - a local company which has a 10% stake in the permits.

Geologically, the project area lies on a splay of the regional scale Sassandra fault which forms the partition between the Archean Kenema Man domain and the Proterozoic Baoule-Mossi Domain (figure 6). Rocks in the project area consist of a felsic/acid volcanic to mafic greenstone belt intruded by a series of later plutons of varying size and orientation. The intrusions range from intermediate to mafic in composition.

Vakaba
Vakaba is an area of significant artisanal mining activity, which consists of both primary and alluvial workings. The primary workings are focused on several high-grade quartz veins close to a mapped contact between granodiorite/granite intrusive and rhyolite volcanic rocks. Workings continue to depths of at least 30 to 50 metres and are steeply dipping and plunging and generally follow the intrusive contact.

Of the five greater than 700m long soil anomalies identified (figure 2), the primary greater than 50ppb anomaly follows the same intrusive/volcanic contact for 1.8 kilometres with a high tenor core of more than 300ppb. Peak values within this anomaly include 1.5g/t Au, 1.4g/t Au and 1g/t Au on separate 200x50 metre spaced lines. 

The four other sub-parallel soil anomalies to the east occurring within an intermediate volcanic rock sequence. These anomalies also exhibit a coherent >140 ppb core with peak values at 2.1g/t Au and 9.1g/t Au.

Further to the significant gold in soil anomalism selected rock chip samples from the mining area included grades up to 24.8g/t Au from ore piles and 5.36g/t Au from a chip traverse in a pre-existing exploration costean opened by the artisanal workers (Photo 1). A full list of rock chip samples greater than 1 gram per tonne from Vakaba is given in table 1. These selected samples are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the prospect.

Table 1: Rock Chips >1 g/t Au – Vakaba Prospect

Empire Prospect
The Empire prospect was initially targeted by SODEMI in the 1990's. Awalé's initial reconnaissance of the area revealed an old trench and patchy outcrop with mafic, felsic and intermediate volcanic rocks close to a large outcrop of tonalite trondhjemite granite (TTG) intrusive not far to the south. The felsic and intermediate rocks were commonly sheared and affected by chlorite and sericite alteration with both disseminated and stringers of sulphide, consisting mainly of pyrite +/-pyrrhotite. A rock chip sample of a quartz vein from the trench returned 36.7g/t Au. Stream anomalism in the area was very low order and close to background, but large catchments were sampled in this area (c.20 square kilometres).  A small 246 sample soil grid was planned over this area to test extensions of the mineralisation observed in the trench.

The soil program proved successful returning a 2km long greater than 50ppb open ended anomaly with a 200m long greater than 200ppb core (Figure 3). The anomaly strikes roughly east west, parallel to the interpreted contact with the TTG intrusion to the south. This field interpretation agrees well with the regional aeromagnetic data for in the area (see figure 1).

Denguèlé Prospect
Early reconnaissance work recognised a new 700m long artisanal mining zone in this area and stream sediment samples are moderate to highly anomalous in the area. The artisanal workers were exploiting a quartz vein (unknown width) in saprolite clays. Depth of saprolite appears to increase rapidly in the mining area and is interpreted to reflect a structure that hosts mineralisation. Rocks observed in the area were affected by sericite/chlorite +/- potassic alteration. A moderate soil program was planned for the area consisting of 405 samples on a 200 and 400m line spacing.

Results returned 4 parallel greater than 20ppb anomalous corridors (Figure 4) that reflect the observed northeast trends from the aerial magnetics. Mineralisation appears to be hosted in a sequence of felsic to intermediate volcanic close to a granite contact to the north of the workings. Other workings were uncovered during the soils program. Selected rock chip sampling around the artisanal mining also returned significant values. These selected samples are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the prospect.

Table 2: Selected Rock Chips >1g/t Denguèlé Prospect

Quality Control and Assurance

Analytical work for geochemical samples and rock chip samples is being carried out at the independent ALS Laboratories Canada Ltd. an ISO 17025 (2005) Certified Laboratory. Samples are stored at the company's field camps and put into sealed bags until delivered by the company to the ALS preparation laboratory in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, where samples are prepared for shipping to Canada. Samples are logged in the tracking system, weighed, dried and finely crushed to better than 70%, passing a 2 mm screen. A split of up to 1,000 g is taken and pulverized to better than 85%, passing a 75-micron screen, and a 50-gram split is analyzed by fire assay or Aqua Regia with an AA finish. Blanks, duplicates and certified reference material (standards) are being used to monitor laboratory performance during the analysis.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

AWALE RESOURCES LIMITED.                                                                                    

"Glen Parsons"                                                                                                

Glen Parsons, President and CEO                                                                                             

Qualified Person
The technical and scientific information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved for release by Andrew Chubb, the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr Chubb is the Company's Chief Operating Officer and holds a Economic Geology degree, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), and is a Member of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG).  Mr Chubb has 17 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by such information. The statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law.

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SOURCE Awale Resources