The latest work has highlighted the growth potential of the Piaba gold deposit at Aurizona, with three easterly targets showing some very compelling drill hits.
The potential at Genipapo, east and north of Piaba, was best displayed in the latest drilling with a 60m intersection averaging 1.18g/t Au from just 1m depth.
Mestre Chico, a target associated with a north-northeast-south-southwest shear zone, saw a 30m hole intersect 1.05g/t from 21m depth.
And, last but not least, Micote, several kilometres east along trend of Piaba, hit 21m of mineralisation grading 84.3g/t from 5m depth. Within this high-grade interval came 1m at 1,005g/t and 1m at 735g/t.
Equinox's executive vice president of exploration, Scott Heffernan, said the company had been rewarded for venturing outside of its recent focus of resource growth drilling at the Piaba West target, with the latest work "clearly demonstrating the growth potential at Aurizona".
The current plan at Aurizona sees the first gold pour by the end of the year.
The mine is expected to cost about US$146 million to build (including contingencies) and produce an average 136,000 ounce per annum of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $754 per ounce.
